Dinner with Lemons November 30, 2009

Venison Strogonoff

Enough Venison steaks to feed the family

1 bottle Worcestershire sauce

1 can beer

2 heaping spoonfuls minced garlic

Pound venison flat and cut into 1 inch strips. Place in a bowl with worcestershire sauce, beer and garlic. Let refridgerate for an hour.

1 large bag wheat wide noodles

Cook according to directions.

Dredge meat through 1 1/2 cups flour seasoned with 1 tbsp onion salt and 1 tbsp garlic powder. Coat a skillet with EVOO and fry the venison.

Remove cooked venison from skillet and add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of sour cream. Add a dab of tarragon and nutmeg. Add vegetable stock to create desired consistency. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!!!

Nothing much really

Since all of my friends are updating their blogs I guess I might as well update mine. The very last day of October and the first two days of November have been very life changing.

Tommy took off to work as usual on Saturday morning, October 31, 2009. He called me at his first break and asked me to text his ex wife (Kayde) and let her know that his schedule for work was different than normal on Saturday so he would be at her house to pick Daelynn up for his "scheduled visitation" an hour earlier than usual. (I put those words in quotes because they have been quoted to me so much by Kayde lately that I could gag). He also let me know that his cell phone was almost dead because he didn't charge it the previous night. Make a long story short, Kayde pulled out the only loop hole that she had to deny Tommy time with Daelynn. She couldn't really come up with a good reason for him to not be able to pick her up. She pulled out their decree, did the math and in her Kayde way informed me that we "somehow managed to get our weekends switched, and in fact, it is not his scheduled weekend". She convienently did not recall that she voluntarily switched the court ordered weekends when she was dating Carl so that they could have all three children one weekend and we could have all three children the next. Hhmm...glad I don't have to look in that mirror. I am too honest of a person to pull something like that off. This has forced us into a less than pleasant situation. Now Chris & Kayla will not get to see Daelynn because they will be with Carl while Daelynn is with us. After discussing this with Tommy he called Kayde to discuss it with her. This is when my little bubble got deflated. Instead of standing up for all that I had battled with the entire day he simply caved in and conceeded to make the switch. Thanks for standing united. It will not be the optimal situation. I can rest easy about it because I know it is not by my hand. When Daelynn starts asking why she can't be involved in all of the family functions with Chris & Kayla or the family pictures, etc...I will be able to say that she should discuss it with her mom and dad. I hate it for my kids because that makes them hate Kayde that much more. I also removed some of my Facebook "friends" because it was a necessary thing for my own state of mind. That was very difficult and many tears were shed over it, but I hope it will be for the best. Fortunately, that was the only negative part of my update.

November opened a new door for us. We officially withdrew Chris & Kayla from public school today. We also began our homeschooling schedule today. It was a very pleasant day. We started the morning off with Chris reading to the family from Beowolf. Following that Kayla read to us from Polyanna. Both kids spent about 45 minutes brushing up on their math skills. Tommy took them outside and facilitated PE for an hour. We set up the criteria for the reports they need to write for Social Studies. They will be reading from a piece of literature titled Our Little Indian Cousin (Mary Hazelton Wade) 1901. This is a brand new adventure for us and I hope it is a pleasant one. Chris was chipper all day long and really enjoyed his "guy time" outside with Tommy. Kayla was very happy that she could wear her side ponytail and not have to listen to any criticism for it. I believe that the drama free lifestyle of homeschooling is going to be great for my kids. I am looking forward to seeing Chris & Kayla blossom into their own independent, unique selves. I am also glad that I am learning what to do for Logan when he is old enough to start school.

If any of my friends would like to start homeschooling their children and are intimidated by it, I am totally available to talk with them about it. I think it is the best thing parents can do for their children. I am surprised at just how happy I am as a granola mom!

Dinner with Lemons October 21, 2009

Momma made dinner tonight. :) We went for some good soul food! Beans, cornbread, and fried potatoes. It was great!

Dinner with Lemons October 20, 2009

Tonights dinner was a little more complicated than I anticipated! I didn't have any grilled chicken on hand, so I had to grill it on the griddle on the stove! I also didn't have any cheddar cheese soup so I added condensed milk to velveeta as a substitute. I am sure it will be awesome! Here is the link:

http://www.cupcakesandcasseroles.com/?p=249

Lemons Life current affairs

So much has transpired since my last update. Our most recent affairs have been challenging and we have all been successful! The biggest challenge has been moving. With the economy the way it has been life has proven difficult for us. Thanks to the dishonesty of ex's in our lives our income has far exceeded our lifestyle. We live quite a modest life. We don't have any credit cards. One car payment, rent, utilities, gas for the cars. The big hit comes from the responsibility of having a blended family, ex's (dishonest ones at that), and great morals. I am very thankful that I have a very close and supportive family.

By the end of this month we will be residing full time at my parents house in Inola. Once we get everything moved over to Inola and settled in I will begin my new adventure of homeschooling Chris & Kayla. Until we are settled we are transporting them daily to Claremore school. I am intimidated by homeschooling, yet I am positive that I will be successful and the kids of course will do great. We are planning on Kayla playing softball again when the season comes around. We are considering enrolling her in dance lessons. We are going to get Chris involved in martial arts. I am not sure if there are any other sports available in this area that are rec for Chris' age.

We have redesigned the girls' bedroom in an attempt to appease the critics in our lives. We set Daelynn up with an adorable canopy (Disney Princess will have to do for now) to cover her bed so that she feels like a princess. We filled her bed with stuffed animals and blankets and pillows. We put a night light under Kayla's bed to ward off any monster's that might find Daelynn appetizing. We also have two of the four walls reserved for whatever deco Daelynn would like to have put up. The next trip my parents make to my Uncle's house will include picking up the hide-a-bed that we got for Dae so that she will have more than just a mattress to sleep on. I find it very interesting that Daelynn has always been very happy with her bed. She liked the fact that she had a mattress on the floor because she didn't have to worry about falling off the bed. Seems as though the problem has been passed on from elsewhere.

Logan is doing just wonderful. He is such a happy baby. He is growing so much. At the last Dr's appointment he was four months old. He weighed 14 lbs 8.5 ounces and was 25 1/2 inches long. Everything is going great with him. We bought him a bounce bounce baby (it's like a walker, but has no mobility, just a pad to bounce on) and some new items to terrorize with his mouth. Tommy has changed his nickname from Super pooper to Super Soaker. It is insane the amount of drool that he can produce! I know that many people have suggested that we start him on solid foods. So far he has been exclusively breast fed and is thriving. Since he is so satisified and doing so well we have decided to wait to start solid foods.

Tommy and I are doing great! We are enjoying our children and family. School is going as well as can be expected for me. I am very fortunate to have Mom & Tommy around. They are both so willing to help me with whatever I need. Dad would be just as willing, but Mom & Tommy beat him to the punch. I am looking forward to Thursday night. It will be my very first ladies night! I am very excited to get to spend some time with some amazing women that I am blessed to know.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe time until next time!

Dinner with Lemons October 19, 2009

Wow!!! It's been a long time since I posted anything! Last nights dinner was a great hit! Kayla ate her meal in less than twenty minutes! AND she went back for a second helping. She didn't finish all of the second helping, but, if you know my babydoll...you know it is HUGE that she ate in less than twenty minutes, let alone seconds! So here is the 411!!!!

Your choice of servings of Tilapia (We used an insane amount!)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Salt

Lemon Pepper

Two Lemons quartered

Pasta Roni (We used Angel Hair that was some creamy white sauce, kids always love it)

Creamed Corn

4 tbsp (or halve of a stick) butter

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Season both sides of tilapia with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and lemon pepper. Place on baking sheet. Squeeze on quarter lemon over fish and place all quarters on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Prepare Pasta Roni as directed.

Simmer creamed corn with 4 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Add salt and pepper to tast.

It is relatively simple and pretty tasty. Once all is cooked, serve and enjoy! The kids ate so much of it that they weren't even interested in desert. Mom & Dad had some yummy Dulce de Leche ice cream. Hope you try it and like it!

Dinner with Lemons June 6, 2009

I have read a lot of information lately about techniques to naturally induce labor. I am 38 weeks and 4 days and ready for him to get here. I am not willing to medically induce until the last possible minute. Most of the techniques I have found are kinda scary. Castor oil is something I would like to be able to say I have never tried. Raspberry leaf tea doesn't taste very good. And the thought of what you are supposed to do with the Primrose oil is just not something I can think about. I have read though, that spicy food may help. What a great idea for dinner tonight! Tommy loves spicy food. The kiddos won't eat rotel without gasping from the heat so we normally don't do spicy. But hey, they aren't here tonight. It is just me and Tommy, and, while I am not a fan of spicy food, if it will help encourage Logan to get out of his comfy zone, I am all for it.

I had some bone-in pork chops thawed out (purchased at the 5 for $25 deal at Marvins in Chouteau) to cook up so we are having pork enchiladas.

Using Kosher salt and Cracked black pepper, season chops on both sides and sear in a skillet with about two turns of the pan of EVOO.

Once the chops are searing, add the following to the crock pot

1 whole chopped onion (I only had half of a white one)

Diced jalapeno (I had about 1tbsp chopped so I added about 1/2 tbsp of the liquid too)

Quater sized handful of chili powder

Quater sized handful of cayenne pepper

about 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce

2 heaping spoonfuls (I used a large spoon from the silverware drawer) of minced garlic

Nickle sized handful of cumin

Nickle sized handful of ground mustard

Nickle sized handful of smoked paprika

1 large glass of water

Add the chops once they are seared and cook on high for four hours.

Carefully remove the chops and shred in a large bowl, removing bones and excess fat.

Add 1 small container of sour cream and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Pour the remaining liquid from the crockpot in a skillet and heat to a boil. Add 1/4 tube of tomato paste and 3 tbsp of flour. Bring to a boil and whisk together to form an enchilada sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix enough of the enchilada sauce with pork mix to bind. Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with tomato sauce. Heat tortillas for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Spoon pork mix into tortilla and wrap up like a burrito. place seam side down in casserole dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce and bake in oven for approx 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with shredded cheese.

While enchiladas are cooking, heat about 1/2 box beef stock to a boil in a med sauce pan. Add 1 cup rice and simmer. Cover and simmer until rice absorbs all of the stock. Add approx 1/4 tomato sauce and some chopped jalapeno's.

Plate up enchilada's with rice as a side. If you and your family like refried beans, (which I LOVE) serve them along side. Tommy doesn't really like them and since this dish was all about him, I left the beans out.

I hope if you try this you really enjoy it!

Second week of Summer Vacation

I am so impressed with all of the great things we have been doing together in the last few days. All three children commented yesterday that it was one of the funnest days they have had. We got up fairly early. We enjoyed some yummy homemade french toast with fruit smoothies for breakfast. Tommy and the kids worked out for a couple of hours. We took the kids to Andy B's for some free bowling. I made up some fried chicken, mashed potato's, brown gravy, and corn on the cob for dinner. We loaded everyone up and went to Central Park in Broken Arrow and enjoyed the park concert with great Christian music by The Missourians & Eternity. We gobbled up our yummy dinner picnic style, the kids played on the playground and catch with each other. They caught lightning bugs. It was truly an enjoyable evening.

Tommy asked for a break today. We have been extremely busy every day of the summer. So today we are staying home and I am going to get everyone to help get the house clean. That way we won't have to worry once Logan gets here.

Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer break!

First day of summer vacation

With summer vacation here for the kids, it looks like I have a lot more work on my hands. Now I will try to incorporate a ton of activities to keep the kids busy and content for the summer. Today was our first official day of summer vacation. We all slept in late...it was very nice. It was around ten before we all got up. I should say that it was after midnight before we went to bed the night before. I made a yummy breakfast for all. We had bite size polish sausage, onions, and scrambled eggs all in one dish. Tommy calls it farmers meal. It was yummy and no left overs. Then, around noon, we all piled outside to clean the garage. It was clean, then we had to clean the inside of the house for the baby shower. All of the house went in the garage and stayed there until today. We pulled EVERYTHING out of the garage, swept it out, then organized it all back in. It is very nice now! Momma is happy! Kayla and I wound up leaving Tommy and Chris to finish up. The two fo us took off to Tulsa. We went to the Herman & Kate Kaiser Library. It is at Lafortune Park. Kayla was able to participate in the "Paws for Reading" program. She was able to read the story of her choice for fifteen minutes to a theraputic dog named Casey. Casey is a long-haired Chihuahua. She visits nursing homes and listens to children read stories at the library. She is also trained in agility competitions.

Her handler said that they had been in a competition in Amarillo, TX over the weekend. She said that Casey's favorite thing to do was to listen to kids read. Kayla was the second child to read to Casey today. She chose a book titled "Scout", it was a story about a rescue dog. When she was finished, she got to pick a book of her choice and a button to keep. She really enjoyed the time.

Kayla put the dog to sleep reading to it :)

Later today, Chris had his weekly boyscout meeting at Claremore Lake. We decided to go ahead and cook out hamburgers and hotdogs at the lake while Chris was at his meeting. We were almost finished cooking when his meeting was over. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the outdoors. Tommy played with the kids and I sat back and watched. I know, I am a loser! I hope that our entire summer will be as pleasant as today! I posted all of the pictures that we took today on my facebook page. Feel free to browse :) Happy Sunny Days to all!

Dinner with Lemons May 18, 2009

I experimented around with this one. I used the whole cut up chicken that I got at Marvin's in Chouteau on their 10 for $10 sale. I put it in a casserole dish and covered it with some Jim Bean Bourbon Marinade. I got the marinade at Reasors for around $3.00. I baked it in the oven on 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. It probably could be cooked faster at a higher setting, but I had the time. I used some leftover mashed potato's to mix with some new mashed potato's. I only had to use four potato's and had way to much left over. I chopped up some leftover broccoli from my baby shower and boiled it with the potato's. I mashed it all together with the already left over potato's. I used the drippings in the pan from the chicken and added 3 tbsp of flour and about a cup of water and made the yummiest gravy. This meal was awesome :) The kids loved the chicken...Chris ate four pieces and Kayla ate two! The best part was, I got them to eat a ton of broccoli by mixing it into the "green" mashed potato's :) This was a very simply, inexpensive, yummy meal!

Logan is almost here :)

I am pleased as punch that I have made it this far. Logan is almost here :) I went to the OB Dr. today. I am 35 weeks. I was given a "Hooty Booty" test. Dr. Nilson refers to it this way because they swab your hooty and around your booty. He measured Logan while he was doing the ultrasound. He didn't mention the measurements. So far I have gained a total of 15 lbs. He took some more pics.

It looks like Logan is chubby, but I am not sure. If he is I will just adore him that much more:) The Dr gave me the 5 things to call him about. There is the obvious, if my water breaks; if I begin having contractions that are 5 minutes apart for an hour; fluid leakage that cannot be distinguished between fetal fluid or urine; Period like bleeding; finally, lack of fetal movement. I have to monitor Logans movement three times a day now. I have to count his kicks for an hour. I have to have at least 6 kicks in an hour three times a day. If I cannot get that, or if any of the other things happen, then I have to call the Dr.

He explained to me that he is a 38+ week Doctor. If I am past 38 weeks and have a certain percentage of dialation and effacing and tell him that I want to have this kid now he will induce. If I want to wait until Logan is ready to get here, then I will make it that long. I had Chris & Kayla on their due dates so it is likely that I will do the same with this one. I have felt some pains that I believe to be contractions. They have not had a pattern at all, so I have not been concerned.

He also explained to me that hip pain is one of the most common complaints he hears. He has some stretches that may or may not work. He forgot to give them to me. Last night I slept with a pillow close to my ankles and managed to sleep most of the night. I will try that again tonight and then call him tomorrow to see what they have. It is VERY obvious now by the latest anatomy picture that Logan is a boy. I am a believer now :)

All in all things are going very well :D

Holy coupons Batman!

I am totally a believer now! I went to the 918moms coupon queen coupon class. I was fortunate enough to be at the first coupon party. I have been following her (I feel like a stalker) on myspace, Facebook, and Twitter. I check the forum's on 918moms.com as often as possible. Here is what I accomplished today at Homeland...

6 boxes of Jello

2 bottles of Suave conditioner

2 bottles of Suave shampoo

1 box of Premium saltine crackers

4 packages of Deli Creations lunch sandwiches

2 bottles of Kraft BBQ sauce

4 packages of Kraft singles cheese

4 packages of Oscar Meyer sliced Virginia Ham

4 packages of Oscar Meyer bologna

1 box of Honey Maid graham crackers

4 packages of Lunchables

4 packages of Kraft natural shredded cheese

1 bag of Ritz toasted chips

4 packages of Knorr pasta sides

2 boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats

1 box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran

2 boxes of Kellogg's Special K

1 box of Kellogg's Rice Krispies

1 box of Kellogg's Fruit Loops

Before I went shopping I did some research. I follow the 918 coupon queen Sarah Roe on Twitter(http://twitter.com/918couponqueen). She posted a tweet yesterday about printing Kraft and Kellogg's coupons. I followed the link posted on her blog (http://www.918couponqueenblog.com/) and printed off two of each coupon. Each coupon was for $1.00 of the specified amount. I went to the 918moms.com forum and looked at the posting they had for Homeland matchups(http://www.918moms.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=718). I only used two copies of two coupons out of the Sunday Tulsa World and honestly cannot tell you which paper it was or which circular I got them out of. They were for the Knorr pasta sides and the Suave hair products.

I have a 3 ring binder that is full of baseball card sleeves. I put the coupons (when I take the time) in order of item type. Meaning, I try to put all the lunch snacks together, all the freezer items together, all of the deodorant items...etc...I also carry a spiral notebook, a pen, and a pair of scissors in the book. If I have copies of the store ads I keep them in the pockets of the binder. I make sure that I have plenty of time (most of the time).

I had certain items I was looking for. I only paid attention to those items. I have to admit, that the 10 for $10 sales did catch my attention. That is where I got the pasta sides and hair products. I try to write down the regular price and the price of the item that day. I learned from Sarah's class that stores change prices almost weekly and if you track the price you can find when it is the cheapest and then buy in bulk and use your coupons. I learned from the 918moms website that Homeland doubles coupons every day. That is how I chose Homeland.

Before the coupons were deducted my total was $145.79. After the coupons were deducted and doubled my total was $64.27!!! I went to the store on 31st & Harvard. The lady that checked me out was very friendly and helpful. Her name tag said 'lil bug'.I explained to her that I had never used coupons at Homeland and that I needed help to make sure I was doing it correctly. She looked through all of my coupons. She separated the duplicates and told me that in order for them to be doubled to the full amount I would have to separate the transactions. She signed me up for the savings card. She rang up every item slowly, made sure I knew the total before the coupons, explained to me what the difference was between the transaction for the manufacturers coupon and the double on their part. She also let me ring up both transactions in a row and showed me where I had saved $80!!! It was a very slow process, but oh so beneficial. I bagged all of the groceries myself in order to ease her work load a little bit. I did not mind one little bit since she was so helpful.

Dinner with Lemons May 6, 2009

I went for the quick and simple for dinner. Stopped at Reasor's on the way home from picking the kids up from school and got a rotisserie bbq chicken. I de-boned the chicken, chopped up some broccoli, had Kayla cube up half a brick of velveeta, precooked some brown rice, threw it all in a casserole dish and baked it on about 350 for around 20 minutes. Short, sweet, and to the point. A crowd pleaser for sure!

918moms.com and me :)

I just got the knock on the door from the UPS truck! They delivered my Moms Night Out meal for dad and the kids...check it out! I found out about The National Moms Night Out from following the 918couponqueen on myspace, Facebook, blogger.com and Twitter. I feel like a stalker! I can't help it though. She has such great deals! I signed up for the Moms Night Out and registered for this free meal. It arrived today! Two types of Ragu pasta sauce and a box of noodles with a nice little note to dad...all for free!!!

I have been getting so many free samples and coupons and great deals by checking out the updates from Sarah and checking the forums on 918moms.com

I have received a free book on asthma and allergies that I donated to the elementary school next door to my house. I got a free (IDK the correct name) extender thingy for my tp holder...it makes it so that the double rolls fit better. I got a free sample of toothpaste. I got a free nursing cover...I had to pay shipping but still...it was only $7.95! I got a free sample of Quaker snacks. This is just the beginning!

I really wish that all of my friends would join in this group. It takes a little bit of effort to follow everything, but I feel like the benefits are worth it! The ladies on this site post all of the great deals they find at places like Homeland, Walgreens, Reasors & Walmart. They post links to the online coupons so you can print them. I haven't started saving a ton yet, but I have managed to save I would say at least $50 since I have been following them. That doesn't count the freebies either.

If you really want to take part I would love to help you figure it all out! Just drop me a line and let me know.

I hope all is well with you!

Dinner with Lemons Cinco De Mayo!!!!

Wouldn't it have been nice of me to plan ahead and create some sort of mexican dish to celebrate the significance of today. It would have been nice...but I didn't...I modified this dish just a little bit. I used whole wheat penne because I couldn't find ziti. My family doesn't really enjoy a meatless meal, so I added some cheapy Kielbasa sausage. I chopped it into bite size pieces and threw it in a skillet with some EVOO while the pasta was cooking. It is on sale at Walmart right now for $2.50 a package. I didn't realize when I picked this recipe that the squash was a separate dish. I omitted the Lima beans because no one else but me likes those and we had the squash for a veggie.

We haven't officially eaten this meal yet, as it is still cooking. Here is the link to the recipe...http://www.5dollardinners.com/2008/09/baked-ziti.html I am most positive that the fam will love it. Hope you try it out!

Again, friends and family...I strongly suggest that you check out 918moms.com and search a little farther on the 5dollardinners.com website. I am on a mission to eat well and eat cheap!

Dinner with Lemons April 22,2009

We all have those days that we just flat don't want to deal with meal planning. I had one of those days yesterday. I dropped into Walmart and bought two twelve packs of Ramen Noodles. Chris fixed dinner for us. We also had some Spicy Buffalo wings from the 5 for $25 sale that is always available at Marvins in Chouteau.

Tonight however, I am going to make the dish that can be found on this link. I sure hope my friends check it out and take interest in saving their family some money!

http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/04/mexican-chicken-skillet.html

I don't even have to cook it to know that the family is going to love it!

I have heard it all

My son approached me last night and asked me to sign a form for him to be eligible to be chosen as a student aid or library aid for school next year. Last night I happen to be on the ball, so rather than just sign the letter and continue on, I took the time to read what I was signing. I just happened to look on the back of the form and found the stipulations to becoming a student aid. The very first paragraph states that the student must have excellent grades (A's & B's) {Check yes for my brilliant son}, a history of outstanding class conduct {Check yes again} and a signed permission form signed by their parent or guardian {I am willing to give it a shot}. Students who have multiple discipline referrals {Check none for my brilliant son} and/or poor attendance records will not be selected as Office or Library Student Assistants. This is where the breaks screeched loudly. There have been occasions that I have removed Chris from class for doctors appointments for both of us. I am also aware that he has had several tardy's at school. I pointed this stipulation out to him.

Oh, they mean if you like miss three entire days in a row mom, I was told. I logged into the school website to express to Chris that he had a less than stellar attendance record. I am not sure what the school considers poor. He has 8.5 absences and 11 TARDY'S!!! I have no idea how this child has managed to stay under the radar. The school policy is after school detention for every 3 tardy's. Chris has never had detention.

I figured while I was logged in, I would glance at his grades. All I can say is oh my. This quarter started March 9. The last progress report I was given showed that he had all A's & B's. The first think that caught my attention was the 12 missing assignments in one class. Whoa. After checking all of his classes I layed into him. He has 18 missing assignments. He has a D in geography. Upon more than one occasion he has commented that his geography teacher gives stupid homework. In his opinion it is stupid to give kids homework over a three day weekend, because what child is really going to do that? We asked him where the assignments were. "I was walking down the hall at school with my papers and notebook in my hand. This kid came running up to me, grabbed my papers, and took off running so fast that I couldn't tell who it was." These are seriously the words that came out of my son's mouth. What can you say to that?

I told Chris that he might as well have said that the aliens took his homework or the dog ate it. He proceeded to tell me that if one could provide the slobbery, wet, pieces of paper that remained to the teacher that this would be a realistic excuse. My response to this was "do you really want to go there right now?" His eyes quickly met with the carpet on the floor and in a quiet shameful way he said no.

I believe that with this conversation, I have the ability to say that I have heard it all now. I am not sure that there is a more ridiculous excuse out there.

Dinner with Lemons April 20, 2009

Unfortunately, we have been eating out a lot lately. We just haven't had the time to prepare meals. Last night, I made momma's yummy salmon patties. I didn't think the kids would like it but it turned out to be a hit. All it takes is two cans of salmon, you can find it by the canned tuna and potted meat :D, remove all the bones you can. If you can't get them all removed, simply squish the meat, like meatloaf, and the bones will blend in. Add an egg per can of salmon, and enough bread crumbs to combine. Shape into patties, like hamburgers, season with S & P and Garlic salt. Fry in a skillet with vegetable oil or EVOO. I found it best to let them cook long enough to crust up and then turn them. Otherwise, you will have jambalaya type food instead of patties. I fixed my favorite Thick & Creamy Mac N Cheese and corn to go along with it. Fairly easy to prepare and cook and super yummy!

Whats for dinner April 8, 2009

Yummy! Tonight we had chicken salad sandwiches and chips and salsa. I just got a rotisserie chicken and pulled the meat off the bones. I added enough mayo and mustard to suit, sliced up a stalk of celery, chopped an onion and mixed well. I added some S&P, garlic salt, and a sprinkle of smoked sweet paprika. Spread on some onion buns and top with the cheese of choice! I found a recipe for Tuna salad that is mayo free and more figure friendly, I will have to see if I can find it again! Everyone ate every bit of their food and no one complained. This is the sign of success in my book!

Rice Krispies

I cannot believe it. Why does most everything have to be a battle with kids? I mean, really. I am stuck on this trivial Rice Krispies problem. What started out as a simple solution for an excess amount of cereal has turned into such a pain. It seemed easy...'we have two large boxes of Rice Krispies that are just sitting in the pantry...eat all that we have, then we will buy different cereal.' Boy did I fool myself.

These three little guys have become a major source for a power struggle. Kayla has expressed opposition to them since the moment we discussed it. She feels that this cereal is not worthy of consuming because you have to add sugar and there is no defining way to ensure that you are adding the correct amount. Really!?! Talk about a Princess complex. She has managed to stretch the Frosted Flakes that she has for a week now. This morning, before she would eat she scoured the pantry for another option. Having found nothing she gave in. She asked Chris what he did to his Krispies. 'Nothing? You just ate them?' As if this is such an absurd thing! Then she educates us by announcing that one can make Krispies Treats. She sat down at the table and ate the first spoonful and exclaimes...'these are good'. Whoa.

Then we have Chris. He has made small attempts to avoid eating the Krispies. His attempts have been trying to eat the emergency supply of PopTarts...in case we wake up late...or today, he tried a PB&J. While this is not a bad selection, it is still avoiding the inevitable. I had a discussion with him about trying to avoid eating the cereal. I left the room and came back a moment later to find him sitting at the table with a bowl of Rice Krispies and the sandwich packed for lunch. Oh, I am such a heel. I felt like such a jerk. I told him that I loved him and that he was a great kid no matter how much I complained. He has really stepped up lately and displayed some angelic behavior.

I think I will give this little problem another day. This morning, I envisioned my self shoveling spoonfuls of cereal down the throats of my little monsters...or waiting until they were sound asleep and then covering them in the cereal. Or, force them to eat only the cereal when they complain about hunger pangs. Their attitudes have shown improvement. I think that I will simply let this go for a little while. If they eat them with no protest for a day or two then I think they will be rewarded with the biggest box of the cereal of their choice. Maybe it will help them see that if they don't fight it they will get what they want in the end.

Whats for dinner April 7, 2009

I was really lazy today...so dinner was an easy family fav...TACO's!!!

I love it, brown the meat, add the seasoning, heat the refried's, chop the veggies, and serve. So simple. I don't cook the tortilla's like mom and dad...I just use plain flour tortilla's. Takes about twenty minutes total and the family raves about it all night long.

Taco's...One of the things I am thankful for!

The Audacity of Me

I know that it is not a problem that I suffer with alone. I know that moms everywhere face the same battles. I am seriously considering a support group. Moms of bickering children. I hear it all too often. Let me explain the first part of our evening yesterday.

I have been volunteering in Kayla's class on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's, all things permitting. I was in her class yesterday. She & I picked Chris up after school as usual. I don't remember what got them talking about it, but they began debating about whether there was an elementary school in the Claremore district that did not have buses drop off or pick up. They debated on this subject from the Junior High to Reasor's. I tried to explain to them that it was a terrible waste of time to bicker about something that has no effect on us at all. But, oh, bicker away! I finally put the kibosh to the topic. As we were walking into Reasor's, Kayla asked if she could push the cart. No problem with me, just one less thing I have to do! Little did I know, this was the begining of yet another debate. The topic of this debate was whether Chris would walk in front, or behind, Kayla while she was pushing the cart and the events that took place during the last trip when Kayla pushed the cart. Another five minute debate in which I made the same failing attempts and had to squelch. We made it out of Reasor's and headed home. The next debate began moments into the house when Chris felt that he needed to turn his mommy switch on and inform Kayla that she needed to be aware of how many ice cream bars she was eating because they are worthy are preservation. After reminding them to turn the mommy's buttons off they let this one go as well. That was the first thirty minutes of interaction for the siblings since before school. What a night to look forward too.

Tom & I discussed our ever so pleasant afternoon when he got home from work. He and I decided that we would handle this in a manner that would leave a lasting impression. We told the kids that if they decided to bicker with each other again during the evening they would have to move cinder blocks from the back yard to the front and back 10 times.I guess Kayla thought we were bluffing. Unfortunately, they decided to bicker some more. We bought cinder-blocks.

Chris was at a scout meeting. Kayla went with us to get the blocks. She protested the entire trip. She even expressed that she wished that she were like the Hulk so that she could smash Tom's head right then. They had to move the cinder blocks when we got home. Kayla protested and complained the entire time. The blocks were pretty heavy for her small body. It seemed as though she thought she could use that to her advantage. Ya know, if she complained and cried enough we would let her off the hook. No such luck. She did manage to have a reduced number of trips because we didn't want to overdo it. Chris was a champ! He did not complain one single time, and, he was quick to be a cheerleader for Kayla. I was so proud of him! He was very encouraging to Kayla and even slowed down to make sure that she was not alone!

I hope that a lesson was learned by both children. Kayla did start her morning off this morning on the same path she was on yesterday. We decided that we weren't going to buy any more cereal until all of the old cereal was eaten. Kayla feels as though this is unfair. Her argument to the situation is that you have to add sugar to Rice Crispies. And, you don't know how much. This is her reason why it is so terrible that she has to eat the Rice Crispies before she can have a different type of cereal. Unbelievable! The audacity of me to ask such a thing!

RH negative

When I was in high school I donated blood to the American Red Cross. They typed me as O+. When I was pregnant the first time, the Dr's office typed me as O-. I explained to them that the Red Cross had already typed me and that they said I was O+. The OB took another sample and typed it as O+. I have donated four times to the Red Cross and four times to the Oklahoma Blood Institute. All donations have been typed as O+. Now I am pregnant again and the new OB typed me as O-.

How is this possible? I inquired about it at the Red Cross. The RN I spoke to said that I must be a weak positive. I have no discovered that my dad has been through the same thing. When he enlisted in the military they typed him as O-. When he donated blood they typed him as O+. I wonder how many other people there are with the same scenario?