Oh, Heaven Help Me

Being Crafty

2009-08-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Alright, I can cook. And I can sort of sew, I mean I get by. Last Christmas while my grandma was in town I bought a book on how to teach kids to crochet and a skein of yard. I figure with the help of the Grandma and this book I should be able to get the whole crochet thing down. Well I did. Maybe not the "whole" crochet thing, but I did make each of my children a hat and a scarf. Then I found a cute pattern on-line for monster baby booties, so I've been working on some of those too. I'm still pretty limited in the crochet department, but I still have the desire to branch out and give knitting a try. Problem is, my grandma is no where at hand, and the books I find are incredibly intimidating, until today.

A little backtracking here, yesterday I finally broke down and bought some pregnancy clothes. At 26 weeks, it was about time. Problem is I only ended up with two tops and two bottoms. Maternity clothes are expensive. Besides being expensive, I find most of them ugly. I refuse to pay good money for ugly clothes. So later that day I went online and checked out Old Navy, The Gap, and a few other online sites for maternity clothes. The only things I would be willing to pay for are the things on clearance, which isn't bad, but I hate buying clothes online, I'm lucky if anything fits properly, and a lot of maternity clothes look cute on the hanger but look like a circus tent once put on.

Back to today, so today the kids and I headed out to the fabric store, because I had this genius idea that if I couldn't find cute affordable maternity clothes I would just make some. Again I hit a snag, because maternity patterns are near impossible to find, and even if they're in the pattern book, that doesn't mean the store actually has them on hand. So I looked at some regular patterns that maybe could pass for maternity clothes, but I don't think I have enough seamstress knowledge to comfortably adapt regular patterns to fit an ever growing belly. So once again, frustrated and aggravated, I headed out of the fabric store empty handed when I came across some clearance items. And just like it was waiting to lift my spirits, I saw this Mickey Mouse & Friends I Taught Myself to Knit kit. Marked down to under $5, it included two sets of knitting needles, two yard needles, stitch markers, and a how-to book. I figure if this book can help kids teach themselves, I should be able to muddle through. As far as pregnancy clothes, I maybe have hit another road block, but at least I can give this knitting thing a go. Next up . . . canning!

Fort Booth

2009-07-29T13:25:00.001-07:00

This is what my kids do when the power goes out. No internet, video games, movies, or Wii to brain suck them into a stupor. I'm thinking the power should go out more often ;)

My First Cake

2009-07-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

My neighbor called me last week and asked if I would make a cake for her daughter's 9th birthday. After taking a couple of classes my confidence is a bit better, I'm still no great cake decorator, but figured I need the practice so I told her yes. Now to me, if a cake isn't chocolate somewhere in there it just isn't worth the calories, but her daughter doesn't like chocolate (I know, strange child), so she wanted a strawberry cake with pink frosting. Talk about pink overload. And having never made a strawberry cake before, I wasn't sure where to begin. I've seen strawberry cake mixes, but I refuse to go that route. So I found a strawberry cake recipe from scratch, and made some cupcakes from it to test on some other friends. They liked it, so the cake part was figured out. I still needed a filling. I don't really like filling cake with just more frosting, too sugary, too much frosting, besides I wanted a strawberry filling. I was hesitant to use just fresh strawberries because they can mold once in the cake and they are very wet and and all that extra moisture leaches into the cake. I thought a curd filling might be nice, I love lemon curd, and wondered if I could do a strawberry curd. I couldn't find any recipes for strawberry curd, so I adapted a lemon curd recipe, but the results were not what I wanted. Unfortunately a waste of ingredients. But a learning lesson at least. I ended up finding a strawberry cream cake filling recipe and gave that a try. It uses fresh strawberries, sugar, water, gelatin and some cream, that's it. But the consistency is very jello like. I tried thinning it with some extra cream, and went ahead and used it in the final cake, I'll have to wait for some feedback. I asked my neighbor to pick out some flowers that she wanted used, she chose yellow mums, white daisies, and pink primroses. Mums are not my favorite to make, but at least I got some extra practice making them for the cake, and I think I greatly increased my mum making ability. So the final product is a strawberry cake with strawberry cream filling with pink butter cream frosting. Pink overload it is, but for a little girl, hopefully it will please.

Blogger is Driving Me Crazy!!!!!

2009-07-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I write a post, then download photos, and my formatting gets all jacked up. And I mean All Jacked Up.

I cannot move the photos around like I used to, scrolling down until I get to where I want to put them, because when I hit the bottom of the page it just stops. Won't let me scroll down to move a photo. It didn't used to do this, what is going on?

Therefore I can only upload one photo at a time, because if there is already a photo on the page, I can't move past it with another. Ugh! Can you tell I'm annoyed? Plus I keep telling the kids to leave me alone, and I'll get this done sooner. But there is no such thing as leaving me alone. Even the most mundane things are so important to them, that they must interrupt, so what should take me five minutes, takes me thirty. Then they complain about what is taking me so long.

So here is one photo to help counteract all my bitchiness. New PJ's from Grandma DeeDee.

***And it did it again, I added my photo, and had to go back and correct my formatting and could only move the photo one page at a time.

20 Weeks

2009-06-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of my 20th week of gestation of Booth baby #5. Today I had my sonogram and check-up. The good news to me is that I haven't gained a pound. Amazing. I figure I have the weight to spare, so why not pass it on to the kid. The nurse seemed a little less enthused. She asked if I had been sick, so I reminded her that at my last appointment I was recovering from the Moroccan Monkey Flu, and she acted like she knew what I was talking about about, "oh yea, that's a bad one". See my neighbor, who is from Morocco, went overseas to visit her sister in London, and then her parents in Morocco with her girls. Once they arrived back home, they drove straight from the airport to children's hospital since her three year old had diarrhea and was vomiting for about 24 hours. They told her it was a simple stomach virus, not to worry. But then her one year old got it. Then her in-laws got it. Then my friend, then her kids, who then graciously shared it with my kids, and of course me. So I penned this nasty bug the "Moroccan Monkey Flu". And I don't care if it all started in London, Morocco just sounds more exotic. So anyway, at my last appointment I hadn't gained any weight either. Since then I've had a bout with my gall bladder, the worst middle ear infection in my history of middle ear infections, and a couple of incidents of passing out. While on the potty. Nothing like picking yourself up off the floor, bare butted, with a black eye to show for it all. "No Vince did not clock me, I passed out on the potty. Really. No, I'm not joking." Besides all that, the baby looked good. He/she is breach (but that can change several times between now and the 36th week), has a good heart rate, and is measuring in at the 50th percentile. Not a whole lot to report at this stage. The only catch was that the baby's femur is measuring short. Which is an indicator of Down's. But, I went through this with Annamaria too, and it turns out she just had a short femur because she is a tiny. So I can have a level 3 sonogram to look for more markers. But even so the only thing that could tell us indefinitely would be an amniocentesis, and since that can cause a miscarriage we're not willing to take that risk. And even if something was wrong, we wouldn't do anything about it anyway. So now I'm debating with myself to go for the level 3 sonogram or not. Any further information they might give me would not be conclusive anyway, but might give more of an indication of what's going on. Then again, I may be worrying myself for nothing, I may just be carrying another little pixie person. It's the not knowing bothers me.

Socialized Health Care, oh! . . . Auto Repair

2009-06-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

I came across this man's blog, and his recent post was a little fictionalized funny about socialized auto repair. The thing is, it's not so funny, and not so fictional. This man is an ER doctor in Tennessee, his perspective is interesting. Check is out . . .

http://grouchatrighttruth.blogspot.com/2009/06/socialized-auto-repair-and-car-care.html

Stomach Ache Inducing

2009-06-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have a stomach ache. This stomach ache has nothing to due with too much coffee, bad eating habits, or even pregnancy. This stomach ache has everything to do with a headline I read online this morning regarding GM filing for bankruptcy protection. The same GM that received $50 billion in bailout money. It they were bailed out why are they filing for bankruptcy, in my naive mind, I thought that was what the bailout money was to avoid. Where did the money go? Is there any accountability? I read a blog post that stated my opinion perfectly, "GM should have had to do from the start what every struggling company is forced to do– file for bankruptcy on their own, its called the free market– but we were told that disaster lurked if this were to happen and that the government needed to give them a bailout. The government gave them billions of our money and they still have to file for bankruptcy, this could have been done months ago at no expense to the taxpayer and with no government interference." I'm disgusted.

My Four Year-Old's Logic

2009-05-21T13:58:00.001-07:00

Annamaria approaches me with her ballerina Barbie we purchased for her last summer at the FAO Schwartz in Vegas. I notice the doll is naked and one of it's legs is missing.

A: "Mommy, do you like her, isn't she pretty?"

Me: "Yes, she's beautiful. Where is her leg, maybe I can pop it back on."

A: "It's gone. I lost it."

Me: "You can't find it? It's gone for good?"

A: "Nope, for bad."

Annamaria's 4th Birthday Bash

2009-05-12T16:04:00.001-07:00

So it happened about three weeks ago, but here is a recap of Annamaria's birthday party.

Grandma DeeDee sent Annamaria the cutest party dress and new beaded sweater for her birthday. So she had the perfect outfit for her party.

After much debate whether we should order a bounce house for her party, we decided to go ahead and go for it. The weather was really our only concern, but figured that we never got the storms that were for casted anyway, so why not. Obviously we went with the pretty pink princess theme, and even Harrison enjoyed it.

Since this is the first official birthday party, (that actually included other children) we've ever thrown for one of our kids, ( I know, we're terrible parents), I was pretty concerned about "goodie" bags. I really didn't want to hand out bags of Made in China crap, even though Sophia tried hard to convince me that is really what kids want from a birthday party goodie bag. I decided to make Cupcake Pops instead, and glad I did. They were cute, yummy, and even the adults could enjoy them. I will be making them again soon, who needs a special occasion?

Annamaria got what she really wanted for her birthday, "a pretty pink castle with a door that opens and closes, with a princess and a prince". Compliments of three of Vince's bosses/co-workers who went in on it together. I still need to get those Thank You cards out. I am a Thank You card bum.

Since I'm still in the middle of my cake decorating classes, I decided to go with cupcakes. But the frosting I made was an Italian Meringue Buttercream. It was Italian Meringue Buttercream from hell, but it all turned out alright in the end. I wish I had my new camera then, they turned out really cute. And of course pink.

Then that storm that we thought wouldn't hit us did, and the roof of the bounce house actually started caving in for all the water trapped up there. The kids didn't mind, and even went on jumping until soaked. Then the thunder started. You can see poor little Francesca clinging to the side netting calling for someone to rescue her.

You can also see how soaked Annamaria was when it was time for her to blow out her candles. She was quickly changed into another, dryer dress for the rest of her party.

But the lure of the bounce house was too great and she braved the nasty weather again, and ended up soaked again. But it was her party, she was having such a good time, I wasn't going to rain on her parade. Get it, "rain"? So again, another soaked birthday girl photo.

Despite the nasty weather, we ended up with ninteen adults and I think twenty kids. I swear, I lost count. But a good time was had by all, and I would definetly do it again. Which is a good thing, since there are now three other children in this family who now know what they've been missing birthday party wise.

At the Dinner Table with Seven Kids Saturday Night

2009-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Bailey, please don't put your milk on your head."

Fortunately this was the oddest thing said that night.

Today's Car Conversation

2009-04-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

On the way home from running errands, the kids were happily snacking on chocolate covered raisins, "1985" was playing on the radio when Harrison suddenly pipes up . . .

Harrison: Mom, if I ever go to real school . . .

Me: Harrison, your school is real.

Harrison: I mean a school where I have classmates . . .

Me: O-Kay.

Harrison: Well, I think I'm going to be cool.

Sophia: hysterical laughing

Me: Harrison, you are cool. Sophia, what are you laughing at? Geekwad.

Sophia: Hey!

Easter Goodies 2009

2009-04-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Finally, my Easter baking post. The pictures are crap, the ones that survived that is, so bear with me please.

Apricot-Almond Bars

Exactly what their names says they are. I think I made these last year too. Vince really liked them.

Macadamia Meltaways

These were new to me. The macadamia nuts were ground into a paste for the dough, then halved with melted chocolate between the layers. Not very sweet, therefore not popular with the kids, but the adults loved them.

Iced Lemon Shortbread

Another one that is exactly what the name says it is. And another redo. Really, really good.

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Eggs, rabbits, carrots and sheep. I think the carrots are my favorite. Dean & DeLuca can kiss my butt! SIXTY DOLLARS for 9 to 10 ounces of decorated sugar cookies, ridiculous!

Chickie Cake Bites

Found these on Bakerella's and decided to try them, they were too cute not to. They turned out to be the lumpiest chickens I ever saw, but apparently that didn't affect their yumminess, because everyone loved them. I thought they were a bit sweet, but they were a hit with both the kids and the adults.

Marble Icebox Cookies

Another re-do. Sophia requested these, so how could I say no?

Sesame Seed Wafers

These are good, but a pain in the backside. The dough is so thin, that it is nearly impossible to "shape into balls" like the directions read. Forget about adding more flour to stiffen the dough, because then they don't have the right consistency. And they have to be baked to just the right doneness, or they'll either burn, or don't crisp up properly. Another re-do though. And I'll probably make them again. Go figure.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These were another first for me. And Vince who doesn't like macadamia nuts said they were one of the best cookies he's ever had. They don't keep well though, and are best the day they are baked. Like any chocolate chip cookie really.

So there you have it. I failed to take a picture of my final cookie tray. I was busy trying to get everything else done that morning and flaked it.

I just realized I'm only missing one photo. The problem is that I can't remember which cookie I'm missing.

Easter . . . finally

2009-04-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone, and you'd think things might have settled down around here for a while, but it seems I just can't catch a break. So before I get the babies up, a quick post about Easter.

Easter was nice, it's never the same without family, but we had some friends over and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. It was the typical Easter menu; smoked salmon torte with mini bagels, ham, blueberry french toast casserole, spinach and feta strata, honey bunny rolls, pound cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and a butt load of Easter cookies.

I know I keep saying I need a new camera, and my photos are perfect evidence of this, but I'll go ahead and post some on the next post anyway. Sorry about the lack of Easter cookies posts, I messed up while downloading them (or is it uploading them?), and ended up deleting some. Gah.

That Easter bunny left tracks all over my house.

Anyway, the girls dresses turned out really cute. All the kids loved their baskets. Harrison got a new cowboy hat.Grandma DeeDee sent Dance Revolution Disney Edition for the Wii, and it's a crack watching the kids play it. Even if the music can get a bit annoying.

It stormed the day before Easter, so it was too soggy for an egg hunt. The eggs are still in our bedroom, we keep saying we'll do it later, but I have a feeling I'm going to end up eating all the candy out of the eggs before we ever get around to that.

Oh, and Booth baby number five is in the making.

Hope everyone had a happy and blessed Easter.

A Crazy Holy Week

2009-04-08T20:18:00.001-07:00

This week has been go, go, go. Between cooking, sewing, missed orthodontist appointments, and just trying to keep up on the housework and homeschooling, it's all I can do to not go crazy. I'm still working on the girls Easter dresses. Making progress is like pulling teeth. But I'm almost done. Almost. I was going to make hats to go with them, but I think I've accepted the fact that that is just not going to happen.

The Easter cookie baking is in progress, I'll post photos of the actual cookies later. For now here are some photos of the kids in their cute new Easter aprons Grandma Dee Dee made for them, and some sugar cookie decorating.

Harrison has the goofiest look on his face. And Francesca has her apron on backwards, she insisted on putting it on herself. I think Sophia was busy doing schoolwork when I took this, that's why she's not in it. And yes, my kids are still in their pajamas.

Sophia's decorating skills are really coming along. She put patience into getting them just right.

And Harrison wasn't doing too shabby either.

Even Annamaria took her time. Not bad for a three year old.

But Francesca thinks eating them is the best part.

My Little Pixie Person

2009-04-03T10:59:00.001-07:00

Foster Mom

2009-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I got a call from my friend/neighbor about inducing vomiting in dogs. I know this sounds strange, but Cooper ate some rat poison from another one of our neighbor's yards, so we had recent experience in this area. Cooper is fine by the way, thank you for asking. Anyway, she had just gotten a call from a friend of hers whose sister's dog was going into a seizure, and they thought maybe it was poison induced. So we gave her the info she needed, and hung up. I called her back later to see how things were going, and find out that the dog, we now call her Momma Dog, had crawled under the porch and was just left to seize without any help or intervention because the friend's sister's boyfriend didn't want to be bothered "with that shit". What a classy guy. To make the story worse, Momma Dog had just given birth the week prior to seven puppies, who were left in the barn on their own (it was in the 30's that night), to fend for themselves because he didn't want to be bothered with picking up any formula or bottles to feed them. They'd either make it or not. I tell you she should marry that man. I was so angry. My friend/neighbor and I were ready to go to their place and take the puppies away from them at 9pm at night. Problem was that they live 3 hours away. Even Vince who is of the firm opinion that animals are just animals, and don't belong in the house, and blah, blah, blah said that if he didn't want to be bothered then the decent thing to do would be to just shoot them all and put them out of their misery, not let them starve to death. Ouch.

Next morning Momma Dog is dead, so my friend/neighbor makes the drives and gets six of the puppies. The spineless girlfriend insisted on keeping the one she liked best. Whatever. So I took two, my friend/neighbor kept two, and a woman down the road who has a small farm took two. They were so tiny, one fit in the palm of my hand. Their eyes and ears were closed, they had no teeth. So fragile. So for three days I did the feedings every two hours, wipe the butt to make them potty, try to get the fleas off them thing. I could not believe the fleas, especially in this season. Yuck. But we got them cleaned up, and fed well, and all six are thriving and happy. After three days I was exhausted, I was told I looked like the walking dead. So my friend/neighbor called the farm lady and had her come pick up my two puppies. Seems this woman has a gift, she had gotten her two to sleep through the night already so she gladly took my two. The kids were so sad to see them go, but honestly I was relieved. So I've been sharing the other two with my friend/neighbor, and they should be ready for their forever homes in just a couple of weeks.

So puppies, puppies anyone? Momma was a rottweiler, papa was a rolling stone, so who knows. Puppy Boy looks like a rottie, and Puppy Girl looks black lab like.

And the cats are annoyed and would like to see them go too.

Neighbors From Hell

2009-03-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posting anything in a while, and I really haven't had the desire to. I've been trying to figure out what my problem is, and I think it's that something has been bothering me lately that I haven't mentioned and until I get it off my chest I won't be able to move on. So here goes.

When we bought our lot to build our house, the one concern that I had was that our lot is narrow. 125 feet wide. It's great that we have an acre and a half, and our "backyard" is over 500 feet deep, but the narrowness concerned me. On our left our property joins three other lots, but it's our side yard that abuts their back lots, so no big deal. It's what on the right of us. We had planned on purchasing the lot next to us, to insure a buffer zone if you will. I thought we had plenty of time to accomplish this, Vince was not so hopeful. And I cannot say enough, he was right. He was right, he was right, he was right. I couldn't image what people would want to move out to the boonies to buy a lot and build right on top of their neighbor. Really, what kind of people would do that? Well, the kind of people who we now have living next to us. Vince insisted the world was filled with stupid, stupid people, and we needed to get that lot secure as soon as we could. And again, he was right, he was right, he was right. We are now living too close for comfort to Clem and The Troll. Clem is short for "Creepy Little Man", and The Troll is for . . . well, she's a troll. I know this sounds harsh, but I assure you, these names are well deserved.

When we first saw them even looking at the lot, Vince went out and introduced himself, was friendly, let them know that we were trying to buy the lot (get the funding straightened out), and let them know in no uncertain terms that we didn't move out here to have neighbors so close to us. Clem told Vince on their first meeting, and on my first meeting with him, that their younger son had been shot and killed just a couple of months prior and they were anxious to move. The son was shot on his 23rd birthday. He had gotten married less than two weeks prior. (Married to a nineteen year-old, high school dropout, Hooter's girl. A great example of their white trashiness. Yes I just made up that word.) Tragic. Tragic, yet that seems to be Clems way of introducing himself, "Hi, I'm Clem and my son was shot back in July. Please feel sorry for me". Also, Clem is in a wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down. I later found out that he had been in an accident on the younger son's birthday ten years prior. Also tragic. Honestly, these people have been through a lot. They are sad, angry people. And while I would usually feel some sort of sympathy, they have been so rotten that I just can't seem to muster any for them. I don't think that their tragedy entitles them to spread the misery. I question if theirs is a case of bad things happening to good people, or a perfect example of what goes around comes around. Anyway, Clem told Vince he wanted to buy the lot and the one next to it, so he could put his house in the middle and have plenty of space. That didn't sound bad to me, yes we'd have neighbors, but they'd be over there. Fine. Turns out they were able to buy the lot before we were, problem was they only bought the lot next to us, not the other one too. Their older son worked for a crappy track house builder and was the contractor on their house. So when their son marked out where their house should be placed on the lot, both Vince and I, on separate occasions went out and asked if they were seriously putting their house there. It was as close to us as they could legally get away with. Clem's answer was that that was where their son was telling them they should put it, but that wasn't where they wanted to put it, and they were still working out the details. Then the concrete guys show up, and guess what. The pad was poured exactly where it was originally marked out. Right on top of us. Fifteen feet from the property line. Our lot is narrower and our house is wider than theirs, and our house is built farther back from the property line than theirs. These people are stupid. We all but begged them not to build so close. We brought to their attention that they would not only be lowering our property values, but theirs as well if they did this. They just don't care. It has all been downhill from there. We now have a white trash track house right on top of us. Every time I walk out of my garage, there it is. The house is ugly and poorly built. They threw it up in less than two months. Their heat pump runs all the time, proving just how poorly built it really it. I'm surprised it even meets the minimum square foot requirements, it's tiny. And all the sod and landscaping cannot mask the ugly cheapness of this house. What's that phrase about a pig and silk purse? Is that the right one? The Troll uses such foul language that when she is out and about I have to go around and close my children's bedroom windows for all the obscenities floating in from her mouth. The best I can do is just pretend they don't even exist. No friendly wave, no nod of the head, I don't even make eye contact. It's stressful.

We are now living next to two of the most inconsiderate, rude, foul mouthed, white trash couple you can imagine. So our dream house has now become our five-year plan house. Looks like we'll be moving on as soon as we can. Part of what really bothers me is that this one couple has ruined our new home and our new neighborhood for us. We have met the nicest, most friendly people here. We do things socially with our neighbors, backyard bar-be-cues, birthday parties, game nights, etc., and with the exception of Clem and The Troll, we could be really happy here for quite some time.

As it is I feel uncomfortable going into my own backyard. I don't like pretending I don't see them, when they are obviously there. They make noise just to let me know they're there. Clem sits out by his shop and stares into our backyard and at the back of our house constantly. When he drives by our house he slows down to a crawl, and I can see him craning his neck while he tries to look in our windows. He's really pathetic. The older son has since been laid off from the crappy track house builder, and I guess is now trying to go into custom home building for himself. I feel for any clients he may get. And the kicker is that he's used a photo of hisparent's house on the business card as an example of his work. That would be like me using a picture of canned ravioli on my catering business card.

Anyway, I think that's all I've got to say about this subject for now. There is much much more I could say, but that would only serve to work myself up, and I've been worked up about this for long enough now. But at least now, if I go off on a rampage about my neighbors from hell, you'll have a little background info and won't wonder what the heck I'm talking about.

My Old Man

2009-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was Vince's 42nd birthday. 42nd and hot. Really, he's just as attractive, if not more attractive, than when I met him 16? years ago. I think it was sixteen years ago. Geesh, I'm getting old too, and my memory is failing me. But really, when I think about it, he is more attractive now, then way back then. He had a thing for tank tops, and his hair . . . well, not the best. Anyway, our wonderful neighbor, Hilary, watched the kids and we went to Texas de Brazil to eat way too much meat. But tomorrow is the real celebration. We're having some friends over for food, drink and fun. My husband loves his rum, so I decided on a Jamaican theme on our gathering . . . Jerk Pork, Yellow Rice, Black Beans and of course rum punch (and lots of it). To add the final feel to the day, the frosting on the proverbial birthday cake if you will, I joined Napster yesterday so I could download some steel drum music. Seven day free trial. I figured we'll have some fun, funky music, Caribbean style on Saturday, let the rum punch flow freely, and on Monday I can cancel and save my $12.95. Well, after getting down with my bad self for two days now, I'm wondering how I ever did without my beloved music for so long. I used to really be into music. Now, if I'm not in the car, I'm not listening to it. And then I'm at the DJ's mercy. So, my question is, is $12.95 a month too much to feel young again? After all, I'm turning 40 myself this year, and any bit that fountain of youth I can grab, I'm grabbing!

The Bug

2009-02-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

We got it. And I mean, we all got it. There was a nasty something going around around Christmas time, and we managed to avoid it. Not surprising since I really don't ever leave the house. But somehow it caught up with us, and now we're all snotty, stuffy headed, congested and miserable. But it's surprising to me how active kids are even when they're not well. I shouldn't have to keep telling them to settle down when they sound like they're going to cough up a lung everytime they cough. What I would give for some good old Nyquil right now. And I mean the old formula, the good stuff, before they ruined it with the new formula. That stuff is worthless now. Geez, listen to me, cranky much?

Wii Me

2009-01-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

My Christmas gift from my mother this past year was a Wii. That was what was on my list, and lo that was what I got. Besides a beautiful quilt that she made for me, that made me cry like a baby, but that's just me. I had grand illusions of using the Wii to get some activity in my day. The Wii Fit is coming soon I'm sure, one thing at a time. And I've heard Dance Party Revolution is like a good aerobics class, so sign me up.

So after tracking down a Wii order at Costco, and finally getting it, today is the first day I was able to give it a spin. The problem is that we don't have a television. We watch DVDs and Netflix on our computer. Our screen is a decent size for a computer screen, so I'm not complaining, but the Wii and our computer didn't recognize each other, so that put a damper on our Wii fun. But then the brilliant man of the house figured something out, and I can now use my Wii, but it is run through some adaptor thingy, which slows down the response time between the remote and when it is actually recognized by the system. Frustrating, but usable.

What I really wanted to use for now was the bowling game. I played it once at a friend's house last year, and the next day my butt was so sore I figured it would be a good starting workout until we can get a television and the Fit or Dance Party. So today I started up the Wii and found that the delay didn't really impede the bowling game. Great. The only problem was that after one game I got a strong craving for a basket of fried cheese sticks and a pitcher of beer.

ANTICIPATION!

2009-01-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

I have eagerly been waiting for this day for a couple of months now. Since some time in November I've had this date marked on my calendar, and I've been telling myself this day could not come sooner. It seems my life has been on hold, and now it's here, and I can now get on with my life and enjoy the many benefits from today. Why is today so special to me? Not the reasons you think, I'm sure. Today, on this wonderful wonderful day, the kitties are getting fixed! I'm so excited.

Just after Thanksgiving, Luna the female kitty, began making that horrible yowling noise. Anyone who has ever had kitties, knows what that horrible yowling noise means, and how annoying it is to put up with. I thought, "surely no, she's barely four months old," but when I saw her brother, HER BROTHER (disgusting little animals), try to mount her my suspicions were confirmed. She was promptly scooped up, and cloistered to the office. And that is where she has remained for the better part of two months now. I felt bad, but a litter of inborn kittens would have made me feel worse. And she did have visitors, it's not like she's been without contact the entire time.

This day might have come sooner, but no one would spay/neuter the kitties before they were six months old. Seems strange to me, if we're all trying to help fix the pet overpopulation problem, then why not take care of the situation when it occurs? I've adopted pets much younger than six months, and the animal shelter would not adopt them out until they were fixed, despite the age. So I'm not convinced this whole six months age requirement thing is necessary. But whatever. We've survived it, the kitties are coming home this afternoon, my office can return to an office, and hopefully life can return to normal. Or as normal as it ever is.

Now I know that my husband is bugged that we even have to do this, and the cost of it all, but I found a low cost spay neuter clinic, Texas Coalition for Animal Protection,
that travels from animal shelter to animal shelter. So for what the local vet charges ($119 per animal), I got all three kitties done for $1 more. It's like a buy one, get two free. And after seeing our local animal shelter I've decided that if we ever hit the lotto, I'll be making a major donation. Sadly it's barely a trailer with some kennels on the side. Oh the many many things I'd like to do with lotto winnings.

Christmas Cookies 2008: All the Rest of the Days

2008-12-31T08:33:00.001-08:00

Family always comes first. So since my mom and grandma arrived, my blog was abandoned. They returned to San Diego two days ago :( , so time for an update. Since I only got one day of cookies posted, I'll go ahead and post the rest of them now. I'll do a separate blog for Christmas, which was very nice, thank you for asking.

Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies

I made these last year, but this year I did a much better job. Practice makes perfect I guess.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Another repeat, but some classics just can't be left out.

Gingerbread Men

Another classic. These were better last year. I under baked these for some reason, and they were soft. Which is fine, but a couple lost their heads. Decapitated gingerbread men just don't look right in a Christmas Cookie tray.

Gingerbread Wreaths

The same dough as the men, but I followed the tutorial from here for the decoration. Not as pretty as hers, but the kids loved them.

Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake Cookies

I'm not a fruitcake lover (it's the nuts), but these were actually pretty good. Very appropriate for the season, and the bonus is that there isn't a whole fruitcake sitting around, not being eaten.

Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Diamonds

These are made with the same dough as the cut out cookies, but with dried cherries mixed in the dough. The dough is spread into a thin layer in a cookie sheet then baked, topped with chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

Vince's favorite. And Annamaria was quite the little helper.

Snowballs

Another repeat. Also another favorite.

Rainbow Cookies

Now these have a story. I've been wanting to make these for years. I'm not exaggerating, years. But the recipe calls for three 9x13" cake pans. I only ever had one. By the time I got around to purchasing two more, they were packed up and we moved to Texas. Where, you guessed it, they were stolen. Since we will never replace everything that was stolen, I was back to just one 9x13" cake pan. So this year I decided to go on with the recipe anyway, and make due with my one lonely 9x13" pan. The cake layers are made with whipped egg whiles and marzipan. Apparently marzipan is not a hot seller out here in the boonies. I did find it, overpriced and hard as a rock, but I found it. So after breaking it down in the food processor so I could incorporate it into my egg whites and other ingredients, I thought all would be fine. I separate the batter into three bowls, one left as is, one colored green, and the last colored red. I decided to bake the uncolored batch first, popped it into the oven, and set the timer. My time was up, I pulled the layer out of the oven, let it set as told, then pulled it out of the cake pan so I could prep the pan for the next layer. But while transferring the white layer to the cooling rack I dropped it. Not the cooling rack, my finished white layer. Parchment paper side up, cookie layer side down. Of course. So I sat on the floor, but my head in my hands, and regrouped. These are now called The Cursed Rainbow Cookies from Hell in my house.

Nanimo Bars

It wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas !

Christmas Cookies 2008 Day 1

2008-12-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Time to pack on the extra pounds and drive myself crazy with all there is to do. My mom and grandma arrive this Friday, Sophia's birthday is Saturday, I need to wrap up Harrison and Sophia's school work for the Christmas break, I started my cookie baking on Sunday, and I have three Christmas dresses to complete before Saturday morning when the photographer is scheduled to come over and take some family photos since we'll all be together for the holidays. (How's that for a rambling sentence?) On top of all that, I'm feeling like a single mother since Vince has been working late last week and this, since he's working on about six projects at work, and the most important has a deadline of "by year end". Not that I'm complaining, I'm more than grateful that he even has a job, unlike so many right now. He has been kind and helpful enough to run errands for me on his way home and on his lunch break though. So I haven't been completely without help.

So before I get going this morning, a couple of cookies, or candies . . .

Torrone. It's an Italian confection. A soft honey nougat studded with pistachios and almonds, sandwiched between edible rice paper. The rice paper is tasteless, but essential since the candy is so sticky.

Divinity. The classic southern treat. A white creamy fudge made with egg whites and pecans. I don't know why it's considered "fudge", but whatever. Vince requested this one, and while I usually make it in drop form, it wasn't setting up properly. I don't know if my candy thermometer was acting up (not unusual), or maybe the humidity was too high that day (I don't think so), but whatever the reason I decided to make it tray style, and it turned out just fine. As evidenced by the two missing pieces Vince has since snatched.

Jaw Dropping

2008-12-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

This morning on my quick run to the grocery store (They had boneless/skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.48 a pound, today only, how could I pass that up?), I noticed that the price of gasoline was $1.49 a gallon. A $1.49! I felt as if I should pull in and fill 'er up, but my tank was 3/4 full already. I don't know how long this is going to last, and I was annoyed to say the least to be charged over $3.00 a gallon last summer, (over $4.50 while in California), but I'm going to be extra, extra irked when is goes back up again, because now I know, I know, it's artificially inflated. So like all things in life, enjoy it while it lasts.

The Colors of Fall

2008-12-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

One of my regular blog reads is Cake Wrecks, which is always good for a laugh and helps me feel not too bad about my cake decorating skills. Through Cake Wrecks I found this other blog which has become one of my favorites. It's called Cake Journal, and it's by a woman named Louise in Denmark. Her skills are truly inspiring. And what's even better is that she posts tutorials, giving even the baking/decorating challenged some hope. So feeling all inspired and fired up I decided to do some baking the week before Thanksgiving. Louise posted a tutorial about Marshmallow Fondant and made it look so easy I just had to give it a try. So in honor of the season I tried my hand at a little bit of fall foliage.

The pumpkins were the babies favorites.

Green Maple leaves.

Oak leaves that were colored with cocoa which gave them a nice chocolate flavor.

And when I had just scraps left, I combined them all and rolled out multi colors for the remaining leaves.

To finish them off I gave them a dusting with gold Luster Dust. I only wish my camera could capture how nice they turned out. The pictures don't do them justice.

The Boo Boy is 6!

2008-11-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

Another example of my fine parenting. Harrison turned six years old last Tuesday, and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. I would like to say my delay is because I've just been so busy spending quality time with my kids, giving them such an outstanding home school education, or that all this housekeeping I do takes up all my time. Or even that it's because I've started working outside the home and boy-howdy how to these working moms do it. But no, I just don't think it was that stellar of a birthday, so really, there is not much to report. Since his birthday fell on a Tuesday it was pretty much business as usual around here. I did give him the day off school, I was feeling generous I guess. Sophia promptly reminded me that I made her do her schoolwork on her birthday last year. So I told her she would get this year off. Then she figured out that her birthday falls on a Saturday this year anyway, and she was totally being jipped. So Harrison got to play all day, and when Vince got off work, we met him at the mall so daddy could take him to Build-A-Bear. Harrison has been wanting to go to Build-A-Bear for eleven months now, so it has been a long time coming. Build-A-Bear is what Sophia chose to do for her birthday last year, and ever since she came back with her kitty, Harrison has been chomping at the bit to go build himself a dinosaur. So he happily came home with Rexi the T-Rex. While he was gone I fixed up his bedroom with a new comforter, new drapes, and hung a couple of pictures in his room. So now at least one room in our house doesn't look like the person living there is living out of a box. His Grandma Dee Dee sent him the coolest zero gravity car that runs on the walls, and even on the ceiling. But there was a warning that if driving the car on the ceiling to be careful to not stand directly under it, in case is falls. Too funny. I think Vince had just as much fun with that toy as Harrison did. For dinner he requested pasta, so Spaghetti Bolognase it was with garlic bread and fresh baked ciabatta. That boy can put away the carbs. And since I still stink at decorating cakes, I made him Boston Cream Cupcakes.

Five Things meme Tag

2008-11-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by my friend Lena, so here I go . . .

Five Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Waiting for Sophia to be born.
2. Getting our new home liveable.
3. Working for Garden Fresh.
4. Getting ready for Christmas.
5. Taking it one day at a time.

Five Things On My To Do List:
1. Return call from photographer regarding family portrait.
2. Make appointments for Sophia and Harrison's annual check-ups.
3. Cut down old tablecloth and sew into table runner for Thanksgiving.
4. Call in refills on my prescriptions.
5. Type up Sophia's 1st Quarter book report.

Five Things I Like To Snack On:
1. Tortilla Chips and Salsa
2. Cheese & Crackers
3. Potato Chips
4. Pita Chips & Hummus
5. Popcorn

Five Things I Would Do If I Was A Millionaire:
1. Buy acreage and build new house.
2. Pay off mortgage then rent this place out.
3. Buy new vehicles.
4. Tithe my 10%
5. Sock the rest away somewhere safe.

Five Places I Have Lived:
1. Gardena, California (Los Angeles)
2. Fairfax, Virginia (Northern VA, ~16 mi. SW of Washington DC)
3. Escondido, California (San Diego)
4. Frisco, Texas (North Dallas)
5. Azle, Texas (North Fort Worth)

Five Jobs I Have Had:
1. Store Manager for Godiva Chocolatier
2. Reservation agent for Pan American Airlines
3. Research Associate (Automated DNA sequencing)
4. Human Resource Manager (Travel & Event Planning)
5. Business Owner / Caterer

Five People I Am Tagging:
None, but if you'd like to do your own list, let me know so I can check it out.

Coincidence?

2008-11-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

I received these photos in an e-mail with a question whether the similarities were an omen of things to come.

I laughed out loud.

The Great Muppet Conspiracy

2008-11-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

A while back I was talking with my mom about my crazy cousin. Among various other examples, I was telling my mom that she didn't let her children watch television, not even Sesame Street. Now don't get me wrong, in my opinion, not letting your kids watch TV doesn't make you crazy, that was just one of many, many examples. My cousin told me that she thought Sesame Street was trying to brain wash her children. "What is the Cookie Monster about anyway?", she asked me. I asked her what she was talking about, and she said she didn't like the way Cookie Monster behaved. Like he was teaching her children how to be hyper and use bad table manners. Hmmn. I cocked one eyebrow, looked at her and said I never really put too much thought into it, I just thought kids thought he was funny. Then she lowered her eyes, mumbled something, and dropped the subject. So the other day I get this video e-mail from my mom with the comment, "Now I know why **** doesn't let her kids watch Sesame Street."

Now is it just me, or does The Count look like Jamie Farr (Klinger) from M*A*S*H to anyone else?

Feeling Accomplished

2008-11-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Look at what I did yesterday . . .

Are you impressed? I am. I know it's not a good thing to be impressed with one's self, but honestly I didn't think I had it in me. I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type. I'm allergic to nature in general. But my beautiful new wood pile started out as two jumbled piles of lumber, and an empty space between two trees on the edge of our property. Francesca tried to help, but at two years of age, really, how much help could she be? She's a trooper though and I admire that. Annamaria was too concerned with the possibility of bugs to be of any help. I tell you, that one is all girl. But I enjoyed the physical labor, God knows I need it. I was concerned that I would be hating life today, unable to move, and would return to my normal sluggishness. Surprisingly I feel just fine today. So fine, that we got the kids school work done by noon. I cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast. And again after lunch. Did some general picking up around the house. Have a load of laundry going as I type this. And vacuumed the master bedroom and living/family room. Should all this housekeeping include dusting? Certainly. But hey, let's not get crazy here.

Just a Little Suspicious

2008-11-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big conspiracy theory fan. I don't think "The Man" is out to get me, or even out to pull the wool over my eyes. I did enjoy the movie Wag The Dog very much, but mainly for it's humor and Dustin Hoffman, not because I thought it was real or anything resembling reality. But today a couple of things have made me wonder. Today I paid $1.98 per gallon for gas. A $1.98! I never thought I would ever see gasoline under $2.00 a gallon again. And the fact that I now think $1.98 a gallon is a bargain, makes me realize just how brainwashed I've become. Also, I've been hearing/reading about these terrible lines at the polls. Yahoo news was reporting lines at the polls being over five hours long, and that was even before the polls were open for five hours. Are they trying to discourage people from voting? And if they are, why? And where are they getting their information? Pulling it out of their @ss? Because when I went to vote . . . not a line in sight. Walked right in. Walked right out. Maybe those crazy paranoid conspiracy theorists aren't all that crazy after all.

Happy Halloween from Oz

2008-10-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat!

From Dorothy, The Not-So-Cowardly Lion . . .

Glenda, and The Wicked Witch

Who, by the way, screamed like she was melting while daddy tried to wet wipe the green eye shadow off of her face.

And much cookie decorating fun was also had earlier in the day. . .

The Wicked One didn't want to wear her cute new Halloween apron, so she didn't get her picture taken. I'm so mean, I must be the one she gets her wickedness from.

Dee Dee Treats! Dee Dee Treats!

2008-10-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a package arrived for the kids. My mom sent little gift packs for each child from the Popcorn Factory. I put the package away until after dinner, smart me, but once everyone was done eating I asked the very stupid question, "Does anyone want their gift from Grandma Dee Dee?" Much shouting and squealing ensued, "Dee Dee Treats! Dee Dee Treats!" We just let them go at them, candy pumpkins, chocolate-caramel corn, carmel filled chocolates, etc. And to protect their clothing while eating all the sticky gooey treats were their Halloween aprons that Grandma Dee Dee sent last week. Too cute.

I'll have to get better pictures of the aprons, since some naughty children took theirs off.

And where have I been lately? Certainly not keeping up on my housekeeping. And also certainly not lying about eating bon bons. I've been at work at my thirty-five year old sewing machine for the past few weeks trying to get the kids Halloween costumes done in time. And while I'm partly complaining that my sewing machine is thirty-five years old, it obviously must be a good quality one since it is that old, and I can still turn out wearable items. Really, the problem isn't the machine, the problem is me. I only sew once a year, at Halloween. I'm not a good enough seamstress to make much of anything other than costumes, because I figure they're just costumes, they don't have to be perfect. But after over a month of sewing I'm now having illusions of grandeur, thinking maybe, just maybe, I could make the girls Christmas dresses. They could be all cute and matchy-matchy. Besides, everything in Sophia's size looks like it's for a twenty-one year old, not a ten year old. And while my old sewing machine would get the job done, I was given a demo on a new Husquevarna at the fabric store. Nice. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have official Halloween photos tomorrow, but here is a sneak peak of The Wicked Witch (please excuse her not being green).

She's looking wicked, isn't she?

Trying To Make Sense Of It All

2008-10-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

O-kay, I just spent a large portion of my day checking out http://www.factcheck.org/ (thank you Jessica), http://www.ontheissues.org/ and http://www.votesmart.org/ (thank you dear husband), to review the latest from the 3rd debate, and try to get a sense of accuracy from all this nonsense. It makes me happy to see that both parties are equally guilty of throwing out inaccuracies, over exaggerations, and plain old lies. Well, "happy", may not be the right word, but I think you know what I mean. It really bothers me when I read/hear people say things to the effect of all Republicans being evil, all Democrats being bleeding-heart-liberals, or being scared to hell at the thought of any one candidate being in office. Honestly, I don't think I'm comfortable with any of our choices, but to take the stance that "your" candidate is going to save the world, and "my" candidate is evil incarnate is just small minded. None of them are perfect, they all manipulate the data to suit their needs, and I really don't think any one person can make or break this country. Screw it up? Yes. Completely destroy it? No. I mean of course, we want the right person in such a powerful position, but is one man going to cause the end of the world as we know it? Just seems so extreme. This is still a democracy, right?

Not Sure What To Think

2008-10-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Typically I stay out of political discussions. I've never been a History/Government/Politics buff in the first place, but really, I don't dig deep to find the real truths of all I hear and or see and therefore would find myself hypocritical to start going off about things I truly know very little about. So usually I just keep my opinions to myself, but ask a lot of questions to try to get an idea of why someone else feels so passionately for the way they believe.

I am conservative and pro-life, so of course, I have things I look for in choosing a candidate I can support. But when I get honest with myself, I don't think that any of them are truly honorable people. And then of course there is the media, and things get so slanted, twisted, and taken out of context, that really the candidate's voting record is really the only way to get an idea of the person. But again, that takes a little digging, and time is a luxury I don't always have.

I do find a few things quite amusing though:

When McCain chose Palin as his running mate, I wondered if that was a ploy to pull Hillary's supporters over to his side who really wanted to see a woman in the White House. Then the more I learned about Palin I realized that she is the anti-Hilary. Other than two x chromosomes, that's about all those women seem to have in common. No wonder the Hillary supporters are all so angry.
I also used to think that a vast number of people were Hillary supporters simple because she is a woman. I thought, who'd support a candidate solely based on her sex? How does being a woman make her any more qualified for the job? Just another advancement of the Feminist movement. Boy, was I wrong, because Palin certainly is a woman, and do they ever hate her.
And I've wondered, if Obama really wanted to cinch the Presidency, why didn't he choose Hillary as his running mate? The Democratic party was so split between the two, wouldn't having them on the same ticket unify them all? But it has been suggested to me that Hillary would never have accepted second to Obama. And Obama probably wanted to make it to see his next birthday, and the Clintons would have him "eliminated" if he was all that was standing in their way. Ouch.
I also find it curious when I hear those who complain about Palin's lack of experience and qualifications to be VP. Those same people who are Obama supporters, who are supporting a man with even less experience and qualifications for the main position, the presidency. I find that very strange.
My husband received an e-mail from a friend comparing Obama to the anti-Christ. When he told me this, I thought it was pretty funny. Ridiculous, but funny. In summary, it said something to the effect of, "According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy everything. Is it OBAMA??" Hmm, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, is it a duck? Or the anti-Christ? I don't know. I'd still rather check into his voting record to confirm my opinions of the man. He does have very little experience, is pro-choice (is in support of partial-birth abortions), has affiliations with some questionable people/organizations, and talks out of both sides of his mouth. Not a person I think I could trust. But then again, they're all politicians. I don't know that any of them can be trusted.

This morning I received this e-mail about an article Ken Blackwell wrote earlier this year. Not amusing, but very interesting.

Beyond Obama's Beauty

by Kenneth Blackwell

February 14, 2008

It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first front running freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.

We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.

Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.

The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the front runner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.

Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts.

Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.

Never in my life have I seen a presidential front runner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.

Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.

Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial "beauty."

Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong Il, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists — something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.

Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on "the rich."

How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.

Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, "All praise and glory to God!" but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have "hijacked" — hijacked — Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban — ban — on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.

The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of "bringing America together" means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs.

But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and — yes — they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.

It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

Mr. Blackwell, a fellow at the American Civil Rights Union and the Family Research Council, is a columnist for The New York Sun, and a contributing editor for Townhall.com.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

I have a neighbor who is also new to the area, and she has decided to plan an activity once a month for those of us who are home with or without kids. Her husband is in the Air Force, and she has recently gotten out, so she is quite used to being in a new area and one of her goals is to familiarize herself with her new surroundings and find out what there is to do in the area. I admire her outgoing spirit, and so was very happy to be included along on these little "field trips". Last month was the Fort Worth Zoo, but I was unable to attend for a couple of reasons. Don't tell the kids we missed that trip, because I never told them we were supposed to go in the first place. But I've been looking forward to October's activity, because I love fall and Halloween, and it's been a couple of years since I've been to a pumpkin patch. She found one that has free entry, free parking, bounce houses for the kids, hay rides, hay bale mazes, etc., etc. The only down side was that it was about an hour away. Not a big deal in my book. So off to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch we go. The kids had a really good time. I kept loosing Harrison, he took off for the maze, and I had to keep calling him back to me. The girls had a good time in the bounce house, even Francesca. I tried to get some good pictures, but as soon as I whipped out my camera, Francesca would close her eyes. For some reason she thinks closing her eyes is how she smiles for a picture these days. I swear that child is just messing with me sometimes. Notice in the picture above that her eyes are closed. I thought the pumpkins were overpriced, ($0.75 a pound), but really wasn't sure what the going rate for pumpkins were these days, so I let the kids each pick out a little pumpkin, and we'll shop for the carving ones later.

Oh, look who decided to open her eyes for one photo.

O-kay, so make that two photos. The pumpkin patch had all these character cut outs, and she loves Nemo (or Me Mo as she calls him), so she was quite happy to sit with "Me Mo" and smile.

And yes, the sun was in their eyes, but again with the closed eyes.

This time I purposely faced them away from the sun, but look, closed eyes.

I tried again, but this time she wouldn't even face the camera.

And by time this picture was taken she was just done. Crabby Ass.

Seven Years - No Itches

2008-09-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Vince and I celebrated our seven year wedding anniversary. And have I mentioned lately how awesome my husband is? No? Well, let me just take this opportunity to inform you all, that my husband, is awesome. Very awesome. Just what makes him so awesome? Well, many things, really. His uncommon good looks. His winning personality. His easy sense of humor. The list could go on and on. But what really made his awesomeness stand out yesterday were these . . .

Those are just a couple of pieces of my brand new, fourteen piece, copper core All-Clad cookware. All-Clad did I say? Yes! All-Clad! And could I be happier? Probably not. They are almost just too pretty to use. I did say, "almost". I am excited beyond words.

So after recuperating from my stunned silence at such an awesome gift, which was given to me by my awesome husband. Oh, I already mentioned that didn't I? That my husband is awesome. And that he gave me the most awesome gift. Sorry. Anyway, he headed to downtown Fort Worth to Texas de Brazil for drinks and a very yummy dinner. This place has a different concept. There is no menu. It has a really nice salad/vegetable station and Gauchos roam the dining room serving all kinds of meat from big metal skewers. Unlimited amounts of meat? Bring it on. We were warned by friends to not eat all day before going to this restaurant so we were starving when we got there. It's fair to say that Ketel One Martini started out my evening nicely. We had never been to Texas de Brazil before, but would most certainly go back. I'm looking forward to it actually. And if you sign up on their website, they'll e-mail you coupons. Since it was our anniversary, they sent us a coupon and we only had to pay for one meal. Bonus! It was the cheapest we've ever gone out for our anniversary before, and every bit as good.

So after a lovely evening of good food and good company, we came home, thanked our new neighbors who so kindly volunteered to watch our kids, (another bonus, no babysitter to pay), and went into a deep - meat - sleep.

And since my system has had about all the meat it can take, tonight I'll be making in my new cookware a nice vegetable curry.

She's Two! Well, She Was, 10 Days Ago.

2008-09-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

On September 13th, we celebrated Francesca's second birthday. I know, I know. What do you expect, the youngest of four. Poor thing, getting jipped on her birthday announcement. Honestly, I don't think she cares. She was very laid back about the whole birthday thing anyway.

I made a nice dinner of Teriyaki Chicken and Sesame Glazed Bok Choy. Everyone ate with gusto, so I considered it a successful dinner. It was pretty much a typical Saturday, except with cupcakes and a balloon. She even got jipped with the balloon though. I normally get our kids balloon bouquets for their birthdays, but since we're living in po'dunked, I have no idea where to go around here to get one. So I ended up picking out a Mylar Winnie the Pooh birthday balloon while at Albertsons getting confectioners sugar for the frosting for her cupcakes. Blueberry, with blueberry-cream cheese frosting, in case you were wondering. She didn't mind the lack of superfluous latex balloons. She loved her Winnie balloon. That is of course until Harrison popped it. How do you pop a Mylar balloon? I have no idea, I never got a straight answer out of Harrison how he did it. It's a gift I guess. Francesca had such a good time blowing out the candles on her cupcake that Vince had to relight the candles. Again. And again. And again. And she wouldn't even lean in to blow them out. She would just purse her lips just right, and blow, not even hard, and those candles would go out every time. We must be easy marks, because she amazed us every time she did it.

Earlier in the week she received a birthday card from Granny M with a savings bond. And on the day of her birthday arrived a nice package from her Grandma DeeDee, filled with new clothes and a stuffed puppy. Annamaria, the Diva, was very disappointed to learn the new clothes were not for her. But we held our ground, and she has yet to get her grubby little hands on her sister's new clothes.
So no big event, no fancy party. But I think she had a good day anyway.

Going Brown

2008-09-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned that the weather here has been lovely lately? No? Well Monday was so wonderful, that we threw open the windows and let the fresh air blow in. When we woke up Tuesday morning, the temperature in the house was under 70 degrees. The house never got warmer than 73 yesterday. This morning the house was 53 degrees! It has been beautiful! Warm sunny days in the mid to high 70's. Cool lovely evenings. Perfect, perfect weather.

When we got back from California for the summer, I was invited to walk in the evenings with some of my neighbors in our area. I thought this was just what I needed, a little exercise, a chance to get to know my neighbors, and a little break from the kids in the evening. So most days after dinner, I put on my walking shoes and head out the door for our evening stroll. For the most part I'd say it has been an enjoyable experience and most of whom I've met are really nice people. It turns out that even when others weren't walking, I've decided that I needed the exercise anyway and headed out on my own.

Since we got Cooper back I've decided that I actually enjoy walking by myself. I can choose any route I wish, keep my own pace, and don't worry about it getting dark since I have my fearless companion with me. But last night I decided I was being unsocial, and decided to join up with the girls for their evening routine.

Sometime this summer while we were gone, a couple bought the house that was built on the corner heading onto our street. A young couple, married two years, no kids, lots of toys and new cars. And a motorcycle. And a riding mower. And two pure bred boxers. O-kay, so I wouldn't have a whole lot in common with these people, but that doesn't mean we can't be friendly. I must admit that I didn't get immediate warm fuzzy feelings for the female half of this couple, (Nor did I feel warm and fuzzy toward the male, but for entirely different reasons, and I'm sure that's a good thing.). During one conversation she asked me how many kids I had, and just seemed astonished that anyone would have the audacity to have as many as four. And while I admit that these days four is a large family compared to most, has she never heard of the Duggers? I'm not that out of line. She went on to say that she is in no rush to have children, if she even wants children, and doesn't want many, if any, at all. Fine. When I was young I never wanted children either, but I don't think I ever made anyone feel bad for having them, and if I did, here is my official apology. I'm Sorry. She just seemed too high maintenance for me, and lately I've had more than I can take of high maintenance people. But I decided to hold my final verdict until I had more interaction with her. She seemed like she was trying to be nice, I just questioned her sincerity.

Anyway, last night as I was headed up the street towards the corner to meet the girls I heard a humming noise and realized that it was High Maintenance Woman's air conditioning. It was 75 degrees outside! I saw her and asked if her air conditioning was running. She looked at me like I had just asked her the most stupid question in the world and said, "Yes". I said, "But it's beautiful out here." She said something about her house being so well insulated that it took a while to cool down. I suggested she try opening her windows. Then I noticed that her new BMW had been replaced with a new GMC Yukon. You know, for all those kids she's planning on having.

What Is Wrong With Cooper?

2008-09-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last night Vince filled his food bowl, but Cooper wouldn't come to eat. I thought maybe he was depressed since I ran to the grocery store instead of taking him for his nightly walk. He looked a little hunched and his tail was tucked between his legs. He wouldn't even come up to the back porch. I thought maybe I hurt his poor little puppy feelings. So I went back inside and brought him two dog treats to try to cheer him up. He had no interest at all.

Was he sad? Maybe Francesca piling dirt on top of him earlier in the day while he snoozed in the yard made him feel bad about himself. Maybe he should have a bath. Still, he wouldn't come and say hello.

Was he anxious about the impending storm that was scheduled to hit early the next morning? Animals sense things better than us humans. Maybe it was the weather.

Was he concerned about the upcoming presidential election? Our country is in some serious trouble. Immigration. The economy. Fuel issues. The war. Are either candidate what our country needs to address these problems and truly be proactive? He's a sensitive soul, my Cooper, perhaps these things are really weighing him down.

Then Vince noticed a snake on our back porch. Not just any snake, but a copperhead. So it turns out the only thing wrong with Cooper is that he can't talk, and say, "Hey, watch out stupid. There's a snake on the porch."

Hey Braceface!

2008-09-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last week Sophia had an appointment at the orthodontist where they magically transformed my little girl into a pre-teen, just with the simple addition of adding braces to her upper teeth. What happened to my baby?

And oh! We got Cooper back. That's what we did over Labor Day weekend. An extended weekend trip to visit with the in-laws and pick up our dog. It was sad coming home with only one, having dropped off two, but I'll save that for another post.

The First Day of the Last Year of My Thirties

2008-09-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ouch! That's a hard one to swallow.

Saturday was a day pretty much like any other. Vince was still working on the floors. I had errands to run, groceries to stock up on for the next couple of weeks. I was planning on starting the kids school year on Monday, and knew that my week would be hectic enough without any extra things to get done. But my husband took a break from his hard and sweaty work to give me a few hours of "me" time. Those few hours gave me time to go pick out my birthday presents . . .

I'm pleased to introduce the newest members of our family, Luna and Sirius (Sirius Black, he's the black one, obviously).

Luna is a sweet gentle little girl, and Sirius is a frisky little guy who is always ready for a rumble. The kids just love them, and the kitties will curl up and fall asleep while the kids are holding them, so I think the affection is mutual.

And also for my birthday, my husband is tolerating all of this very well, this having animals in the house business. The best gift he could have given me. Thank you.

A Real Family Vacation

2008-08-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

Giving that our family hadn't had a true family vacation in some time, our first week in California was something special. We did our most favorite things; the beach, and of course Sea World. Then after a too short time together, we headed off to Las Vegas for a couple of nights, where Vince would leave us to return to Texas. But the short time we had together just enjoying the sun and the fun was great.

One of the first things we did was hit the beach. My friend, Alayne, lent us beach chairs, an umbrella, and a bag of sand toys for the kids. What would we do without her? La Jolla here we come. Once there I realized that it was Francesca's first beach experience. Being our shy one, I think she warmed up to the sand and the surf quite quickly. Sophia and Harrison, are fearless when it comes to the water, which just makes me that much more nervous, and even Annamaria got used to the water quickly. I think she would have spent the whole time in the waves if allowed. But her lips turned blue, and she had to come up on the sand to warm up for a while. Francesca had fun in the water, and got a little too brave, until she got toppled by a wave. Those slippery little kids get away from you fast. After calming her down from her scare, she was back in the water liked nothing happened. Until the next time. But they all had fun jumping waves, playing in the sand, and burying their big sister. On the way home we stopped at Cold Stone for some ice cream.

What could make a day better?

Not getting sunburned, that's what. I covered those kids in sunscreen. And I reapplied throughout the day. And I made them put on shirts when not in the water. But still, everyone got way too much sun. I was embarrassed they got so burnt. Someone could have called Child Protective Services on me. But who got burnt the worse? Vince. Like glow in the dark burnt. Poor guy. It had been so long since we'd all been to the beach together as a family (of course we hardly ever went when we lived in San Diego), that he was having so much fun playing with the kids, and teaching Sophia how to body surf, that he didn't pay any attention to how much sun he was getting until it was too late.

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jog

2008-08-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my anonymous commenter, even though I have no idea who you are, it's nice to know someone misses us.

We are back in Texas, safe and sound. We left sunny California on Friday, August 8th. I was able to hold back the tears, but it was very sad to be leaving. The kids and I headed off to Phoenix, to pick up Vince from the airport, to drive back all together. I hit such a downpour somewhere in the California desert that cars and trucks were pulled over to the side of the road, the visibility was so bad. After getting through the rain, we quickly hit a wind/sand storm, that again reduced the visibility to practically nothing. So my wet minivan was quickly coated in sand. Kind of looked like a big cinnamon-sugar dusted donut hole. With a Toule on top.

Vince's flight landed about an hour before we hit Phoenix, so he was ready and waiting for us. It was a very happy reunion, after being apart for five weeks. We quickly stopped for dinner, so he could hug on the kids and we could get a bite to eat before our long, long all-nighter trip. Well, that was a mistake. A couple of hours back on the road and Annamaria started throwing up. Repeatedly. She ended up arriving back home in nothing but a diaper, and covered with a beach towel I had in the car. She had thrown up on everything else. Now, Sophia had some sort of stomach bug for a couple of days the week before, and it hit Francesca the Wednesday night before we left, so I'm still not sure if it was a stomach bug or food poisoning. I'm thinking a combination of a little bit of both, because I was pretty miserable on the drive home too. Harrison got sick the night we got home. At least we weren't stuck in the car anymore. And I woke up Monday morning at 3am to the sound of Vince retching. Nice. He was so miserable he ended up calling in sick that day, something he never does. But now we are all back to healthy. Thankfully.

The bags have been unpacked, the laundry has been caught up on, the refrigerator has been cleaned out and restocked, and I'm slowly getting the house back to it's normal state. When we returned there was a very fine coating on saw dust on everything. Even though Vince cleaned, it was still settling out of the air, so we have a dusty, dusty house. He was able to finish the floors in the kitchen, breakfast area and hallway. The formal dining, office and entryway still need to be completed. It was a much bigger project than he thought. Always is. And he has since discovered that he's going to have to refinish the kitchen/breakfast/hallway anyway. He used the wrong oil or something in the hand rub finish, and it isn't setting or something the way it's supposed to. Poor guy. Looks nice though.

We did many, many fun things while back on the west coast, but too much to post in one entry, so I'll have to get back into my blogging grove since there are at least a couple of posts worth. And lots of pictures.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation (At Least Yesterday Anyway)

2008-07-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Loaded the kids into the car to go visit with Granny M.
Discovered that the car wouldn't start.
Unloaded the kids from the car, and back into the house.
Made of couple of phone calls, trying to not let the aggravation get the best of me.
Got a jump from a lovely family that I haven't kept in contact with since we moved. Shame on me, shame on me, shame on me. Must send them a Thank You gift.
Dropped my car off at the local Toyota dealer, explained what's been going on with the car, and left instructions for them to contact my husband with the diagnoses.
Got a ride back to my mom's from the lovely family, and found out that their youngest son is entering the seminary at USD this fall. Feel like a great big ass for not keeping in touch with this lovely family, not knowing their big news, and offer many congratulations.
Sat around all day waiting to hear about my car.
Come evening, finally got a call from my husband, detailing the work needed on the car and what would be done and what would not.
Then asked the million dollar question . . . how much is this all going to cost?
Still reeling from the news that for around $1,000 I will have my car back in it's usual working order sometime today. Supposedly.
So much for my mulitple trips for sushi while I'm here. Looks like it will be more like tuna sandwiches.

On The Edge

2008-07-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi. No no, I'm not there. Over here, head west. A little farther. Keep going, keep going, just until you're about to fall off the edge. Yes! Here I am, in sunny southern California. Forgot to mention that before I left. Sorry. There were people I planned on contacting before I left, but obviously never got around to it. So calling all friends/family, if I keep in regular contact or you haven't heard from me in a offensively long time, please forgive me. I'm here and I'd love to get together. Let's make plans, o-kay?

I'm spending a bit of time back in Cali this summer. You see, my mom is leaving for Alaska for a couple of weeks tomorrow, so I thought, why not raid her house and keep my grandma company while she's gone. You see? Two birds, one stone.

Vince drove out with us last Friday, but he's going back to the Lone Star State on Saturday. The kids and I will be hanging out west until sometime in August. So far it's been a true vacation. Sunday we attended mass at our old church. The church where we both went through RCIA. The church where we were married and all our kids were baptised. It truly was "going home". I loved seeing so many familiar faces, and so many people were happy to see us. It was great. Sunday afternoon we met some friends at Old Town for some much missed Mexican food. Stuff like Chile Verde and Pollo Mole, the kind of stuff we haven't found in Tex-Mex Texas restaurants. Monday we headed to the beach, and like true tourists got too much sun. Despite the reapplying of sunscreen. Tuesday was a full day of Sea World adventure. One of my favorite places ever. I'll have to post photos when I get home since I have no way of unloading them at my mom's. I think anyway, I'm going to have to take a closer look at her laptop.

Tomorrow morning we're headed to Vegas for a couple of nights. What better way to celebrate the birth of our nation than with alcohol, gambling, and Nudes on Ice? Happy 4th of July everyone!

A Zoologist I'm Not

2008-06-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

So I've had it with the scorpions and the mice, but at least this one wasn't inside the house.

Vince noticed these prints in our yard the other day, and now I'm becoming more and more curious to what type of animal made them. I thought raccoon, but he told me, "no, no, that looks more like a skunk to me". Well, he's the country boy, and I'm the suburb girl, so really, what do I know? Then just today, the kids were told by the builders across the street that they saw a bear, and were trying to capture photographic or video evidence of it. A bear? Here? As our friend Dave would say, "Are you shitting me?" So now I'm wondering if they were just pulling the kids legs or were they serious in their warnings to the children. Either way, there were either two of these animals, or one fairly large animal since the tracks were spaced a good foot and a half away from each other. And Vince did see a bobcat a couple weeks ago, but even I know enough to know these are not feline. And they don't look like bear tracks either. But the claws are freaking me out. For reference, the tracks are about 3 1/2 inches long, and 1 1/2 inches wide. So, anyone willing to venture a guess?

Sunscreen

2008-06-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Who knew it could be used as such a great styling aid?

Stupid, Stupid People

2008-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I received an e-mail from a friend, with a link to a news story regarding her niece. In her e-mail, she just stated that she wanted to share some news regarding her niece, but had to rush off to jury duty, so she included this link http://www.kitv.com/news/16626792/detail.html

I hope the link still works, but just in case it doesn't, it is to a local news station in Hawaii where her sister's family lives. The news story tells about how the family went to the beach for a birthday party, where her niece stumbled into some burning coals that someone had covered over with sand, instead of disposing of them properly. Her niece is now in the hospital being treated for second and third degree burns on both her hands, arms, and one leg.

It is criminal. This angers me to no end. The story states that there are disposal receptacles specifically for coals, but for whatever reason, who ever did this, just dumped their coals onto the sand and covered them over.

Stupidity? Laziness? I don't know, but one thing I do. That is what I call a Dumb Ass!

Quiet Time

2008-06-12T12:15:00.005-07:00

Possibly my favorite time of day. Right up there with Bed Time, oh and of course Dinner Time. Nothing makes me happier than when 2pm arrives. Sometimes 1pm, depending on the kids behavior that day, but usually 2pm. That means the babies go down for a nap, and Harrison and Sophia have to be doing something quiet. Hence, Quiet Time. Now I will admit that just because the babies are down for a nap doesn't necessarily mean they will go do sleep, but I do not care. They are in their beds for two hours, they can sleep, or they can play, or they can fuss. It is their choice, I'll see them when 4pm rolls around. Quiet Time for me means a chance to get dinner prepped, laundry folded, make some phone calls, or time to just waste on the Internet. But today I have much more relaxing plans. I just finished my delicious lunch of carnitas soft tacos and will be grabbing my current reading selection and heading outside to do a little reading. There is a nice deck chair waiting for me. Granted the deck chair is sitting in the drive way, just outside the garage. Since we don't have a patio, and our yard consists of dirt, the drive way will have to do. But I'm not complaining, the surroundings are still peaceful and relaxing.

Facing East

Facing South

Facing West

So far, I'm really liking the boonies.

The Frozen Meat Mystery

2008-06-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have always been one to plan our meals, shop the food ads to stock up on sale items, and read cooking magazines just for the pure enjoyment of it. I am a foodie. That is no surprise to anyone, I am sure.

In my latest issue from Cook's Illustrated (the best cooking magazine in my opinion), there was a recipe for Carnitas. I love carnitas, but they can be time consuming and involved to make at home. They are usually something I would just order in a Mexican restaurant. But since I currently live in the boonies, miles and miles away from Southern California, and most Texas Mexican restaurants serve "Tex-Mex", carnitas aren't really even a restaurant option anymore. Hence my being thrilled with a easy to follow, not a huge amount of work involved recipe for carnitas. Thank you Cook's Illustrated.

So lately I've been thinking about carnitas and decided to make them this week since I already had the pork in the freezer, and we bought a butt load of avocados at Costco on Saturday. What could be better than carnitas with homemade guacamole and salsa? Throw in a cold beer or margarita, and it's a reason for celebration.

Last night I pulled out a three pound package of pork shoulder, well wrapped in foil, to defrost. Vince was very pleased to hear that that "big package of frozen meat", was going to be used to make Carnitas. To say I've been looking forward to dinner tonight would be an understatement. I even ran out to the grocery store, with four kids in tow, to be sure we had fresh corn tortillas, and tomatoes, cilantro, and serranos for a fresh batch of salsa.

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when I opened that, "big package of frozen meat", to find out that it wasn't pork shoulder after all, but ground beef. Now, I usually wrap my meat in foil, then seal that package in a freezer bag, label and date it. But this package was so big, it wouldn't even fit in a gallon size freezer bag. I now remember thinking, "Oh, I won't forget what that it, it's too big". Yea, right.

So as I stood there, staring at all three pounds of now defrosted ground beef with my mouth hanging slack, realizing that all my pork shoulder was frozen solid, my taste buds thoroughly disappointed, it occurred to me. Tonight, we are having meatloaf. Nothing better than Old-Fashioned Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots & Peas, right? Throw in a good bottle of red wine, and it's a reason for celebration.

And We Couldn't Be More Proud

2008-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Annamaria's language skills have really taken off. I'm not sure if it's because she's turned three, and that is just when children really start speaking well, or maybe if it's because we don't let her walk around with her pacifier in her mouth all the time anymore, so we can actually understand the words that are coming out of her mouth. For whatever reason, it's not just her speaking more clearly, she's speaking in complete sentences, and using new words all the time.

Her newest favorite word it "dumb ass", compliments of her father I'm sure. And while I know I should be horrified and embarrassed, a part of me just wants to giggle when I hear her use that word in her cute little voice, and the other part is proud that she uses it correctly.

The first time I heard her use that word, Harrison was being reprimanded for something, to which she added her two cents by calling him a "dumb ass". She was quickly corrected and told that that isn't nice, and we don't call people names. Regardless of the fact that she was right in assessing the situation, but I didn't tell her that part.

The second time I heard her use this word, she was playing with something that was frustrating her, and she accidentally dropped it. She immediately kicked the object and said, "dumb ass!". Once again I told her to not use that word, but it was so cute I had to stifle my laugh.

Then again, just this morning, Harrison (yes, of course it was Harrison), did something that made her mad. So she called him a. . . wait for it . . . yes, a "dumb ass". Harrison came to me, telling on his little sister for her vile language. I think she knew he was going to tell on her, because she followed him, and immediately after he told on her, she responded by telling him, "Harrison you were mean to me, and I didn't like it, you were acting like a "dumb ass". How could he argue with that? And how could I not be proud of my teeny-tiny for standing up for herself? And so eloquently too.

Just Me and My Thoughts

2008-06-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I had an MRI done to see what is going on with my back. I'm still waiting for the doctor to call me with the results, so I still don't know what going on, but hopefully will soon enough.

When the imaging center called to schedule my appointment, the woman on the phone asked me if I was claustrophobic. Now I wouldn't define myself as classically claustrophobic, but I do not like the idea of being crammed into tight spaces, especially with something very close to my face. I'm really not even very comfortable in the very back of a minivan, but with the window cracked, I do alright. So the woman offered to set me up with the open MRI, which helped put me a bit at ease about the whole thing. Unfortunately, once I was standing there in my scrubs, bra-less and all, I noticed that the contraption I was about to be loaded into was very much indeed sided. Just a great big metal box with a narrow, very narrow, tubal opening. And it was cold, very cold. But did I say anything? Of course I didn't. I never do. Well, I shouldn't say "never". I have a knack for speaking up when I should keep my mouth shut, but not standing up for myself when I should. What can I say? It's a curse. Then just when I'm being inserted into the narrow, narrow tube, the tech guy says, "If you need to get out, just start yelling and kicking your legs. Oh, and this should take about 20 to 25 minutes". Huh? What happened to the 12 to 15 minutes the woman over the phone told me? Was anything she said to me the truth?

I tried keeping my eyes shut, reciting Hail Marys in my head to pass the time. Freezing, with a thin sheet pulled over me, with poorly placed ear plugs in my ears to help keep out the banging, whooping, grinding noises that contraption made. Finally unable to keep my eyes shut any longer, I had to peek. Just how close was my face to the top? Uh, pretty close. But not so close that I'd loose my cool. But I had to keep peeking, just to make sure it wasn't closing in on me or anything. And the time passed, but I had no idea how much time had passed. Then my brain started wondering what would happen if they just forgot me in there. Would I be able to squiggle out? Would I get stuck? What do they do with large people, because honestly I don't think a lot of Americans would fit in there. I wondered if anyone ever sneezed in there. And how did they clean in there? Then my left hand fell asleep. Oh great. But I was told to keep as still as possible, so I didn't want to move my hand to try to get the feeling back, so I just lied there wondering how much longer could this take. What was going to happen if I didn't get to move my hand soon? Would I be able to not move my hand until this was over, because the desire to move it was starting to overcome my will to stay still. And who ever first came up with the idea of using a magnetic field to take internal images? I was going to have to look that up when I get home. And blah, blah, and some more blah blah blah.

Then it occurred to me, that I would not be a good candidate for one of those sensory deprivation tanks that are supposed to help you relax. All the crap my brain kept coming up with was not relaxing, it was stressing me out.

Oh, and Vince killed another scorpion yesterday. This one was in the garage though, no more in the house since the first. But I have warned the children to shake out their shoes before putting them on though, just in case.

Welcome to the House of Mouse

2008-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

And spiders, and ants, and scorpions. But I'm not complaining, our builders warned us that when building the house, we drove nature away, and nature would attack back and try to move back in. So it seems they were correct.

As of Monday, May 19Th at 4:10 pm, the house has been officially ours. We were in the rental house, moving out the last of our stuff when we got the news. We decided to stay in the hotel one last night since all our belongings were crammed into the garage since Saturday, and we were hot, sweaty, sore and tired. So Tuesday night was our first night in our new home.

Wednesday morning, Vince woke me up before leaving for work, to let me know he had just killed a mouse in the pantry, so would I please bleach down the shelves. As well as cleaning in the pantry, I also decided to reorganize what I had just moved in, and put only canned and bottled goods on the bottom shelves. Boxed and bagged items would go on top. Thursday morning I awoke to find the label nibbled off a can of beans. Our little dead mouse had friends.

So Vince brought home traps. Friday morning he awoke to find another mouse in one of the traps. Friday night, while lying in bed, we both heard one of the traps go off. Vince got up, disposed of another victim, and reset the trap. There was another body Saturday morning, waiting for it's unceremonious disposal. So far, no more bodies found, but I'm sure they're still in the garage, though the trap in there has remained empty. Maybe they've lost their appetite for peanut butter.

I've seen the odd ant here and there, but yesterday while doing laundry I was collecting clothes for a load of whites, and our whites basket was crawling with ants. I took the bag out to the garage, shook it out, then just left it for the ants to scatter. Then last night when getting into bed I found an ant crawling on my pillow. Vince promised to spray for bugs this weekend.

This morning when I called Vince to say "good morning", which is our usual routine since he gets up at an ungodly hour in the morning in which I refuse to be conscious, he asked me to be sure to keep shoes on every one's feet today. He killed a scorpion in the kitchen this morning. Ugh.

So we're under attack, but we're fighting back. This is our new beautiful home, and we won't be driven out so easily. Who knew, it's not only the old manky houses that have bugs? Welcome home.

Vertical Hurts

2008-05-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon I was putting the babies down for their naps, in the hopes of getting much packing done during nap time. Now I call Francesca my "chunk of ham", and it seems she lives up to this pet name. As I was leaning over Francesca's crib to lie her down, my back, well I don't know what my back did. If it was a snap, a crack, or what, but suddenly I was reduced to a hunch back and was unable to stand upright. That pretty much ended my day. The rest was spent with me lying in bed, unable to move. It is now Friday evening, and while I'm no longer crawling on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom, I'm still pretty useless around here.

Good thing Vince planned on taking Wednesday and Thursday off so we could pack everything up, because he needed all the time he could get since he had to do it all on his own. Yes, I feel very very bad about this. I don't know how many times I've thought, especially when the kids are running me ragged, that I'd love to just lie on the couch and do nothing. Well, lying on the couch and doing nothing isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when there is so much to do.

Tuesday I got a doctor's appointment, and made it to the car and into the office on my own. I was prescribed muscle relaxers, told to take ibuprofen, use heat pads, and lift nothing heavier than eight pounds. That means I can't even pour my kids a cup of milk, since a gallon of milk weighs eight pounds.

So the Father Of The Year award goes to my husband, for not only packing up the entire house, my himself, but also taking care of four children at the same time. Anyone have any stellar Father's Day gift ideas?

As for me, I'm off to take another Skelaxin move into a horizontal position, my back is seizing again.

Oh, and as of tomorrow we will be heading out to the boonies, so I'll be without the freedom of the World Wide Web until the connection in the new house is established sometime late next week. So you all take care now, ya'hear.

One Week!

2008-05-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

No, no, I'm not one week pregnant. Let's just not go there, alright?

One week from today, we should be living in our new house. One week from today, we will be signing the papers, waiting for the bank to transfer the funds, and resting our heads on our pillows in our new house. It is finally becoming real to me. Yes I know, I'm a little slow.

In the meantime it's time to pack, pack, pack and eat, eat, eat. I want my freezer cleared out by Friday. Also, the plan was to pack a room a day, but I've tried that plan previously, and failed horribly. So Vince is planning on taking a couple of days off this week so we can just pound it out together.

Everything won't be finalized until Monday, but the builders are letting us move our belongings into the house this weekend, since that is when our friends will be able to help us (us meaning Vince). So for Saturday and Sunday we have reservations at The Worthington in downtown Fort Worth. I love staying in hotels so I'm excited. And a bonus is that Vince's sister works for Marriott, so we got a killer rate. She's saving us like 75%. She will be receiving a "Thank You" gift for sure.

Saturday we went by the house for Vince to drop off some hardwood flooring he purchased, and it was a hot day. It was Texas hot. My car thermometer read 98 F., and that was in the shade. The builder came by to let us in the house since they keep it locked up once the appliances are in, and I was shocked by how cool the house was. We didn't get there until two in the afternoon, and didn't leave until five, and the house was at least twenty degrees cooler inside. Why I find this so amazing is that the house we're renting, even though I close all the windows and shut the blinds early in the morning, once 11:00 a.m. hits the house starts to heat up. And this isn't even on particularly hot days. But the new house stayed cool. Cool with everyone opening and closing the doors to come in and out. Cool even though there is an open plug in the front door where the dead bolt will be installed. Cool without any window coverings at all. Cool even though the house faces East/West. Oh, and the AC unit isn't even on the property yet. Not that it would keep the house cool just sitting there unhooked up anyway, but still, I'm just so impressed. I'm looking forward to much savings in the AC department this summer, because a $600 AC bill is not uncommon here for one months worth of cool comfort.

So this week the house will be a happening place. The propane tank is being installed and the blinds are going in today, the driveway is being poured on Tuesday. Wednesday the mailbox is being build, the AC unit is going in, and the rest of the baseboards are being installed. Thursday the painter is coming back to finish up the painting/staining. Friday the carpet is being installed and the cleaning crew is coming in. I'm sure there is more going on, but I can't remember what. I know the yard is being leveled and topsoil is being brought it, but when I don't know.

So some last photos before the house is cluttered with all our crap. I don't know if I'll get a chance to get any photos after the cleaning, but before the move in.

Entryway with coach lights installed

Coach light close up

Dining room light

Entryway light

Kitchen backsplash

She's Three!

2008-05-08T09:07:00.001-07:00

Because of my crappiness as a mom, it is now six days past Annamaria's birthday, and I'm just now getting around to her birthday post. At least it's not as bad as the fact that I also haven't gotten around to getting Francesca's pictures taken in her baptism dress, and she was baptized in November. Of 2006. Um, yea. Hope the dress still fits.

Anyway, this is also going to have to be a quick post, I'm thinking mostly photos, because we have a showing at 12:30, so I have to get this placed cleaned up and get out butts out of here in about an hour. So here goes.

The day before her birthday we were in Costco, and they had these cute little dresses, so I picked one up for her, thinking it could be her birthday dress. Well, she insisted Francesca get one too. O-kay fine, we're running low on nice/church clothes around here anyway. Then when getting dressed birthday morning, I dressed Annamaria, then she picked up the other dress, brought it to Francesca and handed it to her and said, "Happy Birthday Francesca". We call them the twins, but we're only joking. Maybe she doesn't realize that.

Annamaria's birthday started with Mass because our friend's daughter was taking her First Holy Communion, and what a better way to start the day. We then went to said friends house to celebrate with them and hang out with a very nice crowd. Annamaria thought all those people were gathered together to celebrate her birthday and had a great time. The only difficult part was when it was gift time, and we have to explain to her that she had gift waiting for her at home. She was very good about it, and everyone had a great time.

Once home we got out the Pretty Flower Strawberry Cupcakes. Annamaria wanted a strawberry flavored "pretty flower cake", but since we all know how much I'm lacking in the cake making department, she agreed to cupcakes. Yellow cake with strawberry buttercream. For the buttercream I just made regular vanilla, then tossed in some strawberries while the mixing was whipping, and vio-laa, strawberry buttercream. It turned out very good, kind of tasted like strawberry ice cream.

Then is was time for gifts. She loved her Tinkerbell "bla-bloons" that she requested. Big, big hit.

She got a bubble machine from her siblings. Something everyone could enjoy.

Princess tippy cups from Mommy. And a Leapster writing pad from Daddy. He's the big spender. For some reason I don't have a picture of that. Sorry Daddy.

Grandma DeeDee sent her the cutest pink flowered fu-fu outfit, that Annamaria insisted on sleeping in that night. And a sparkly black flapper style dress.

The Angle and the Devil outfits. Annamaria thought the black dress was a shirt for me, so I had to tell her that my spaghetti strapped sparkly top days are over.

Granny M sent her a savings bonds, thank you for thinking of her future, and the cutest counted cross stitch of a Precious Moments kid all dressed up like Annamaria likes to do.

Looks just like her.

Look at those faces, obviously everyone had a great time.

As Promised, New House Photos

2008-04-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please excuse all the construction crap in the pics . . .

Brick and stone work done. We will eventually have landscaping. Eventually.

Part of the kitchen cabinets after stained, but before the walls were painted. Also before the countertops were put in.

Kitchen island with dusty, dusty granite.

Master bath cabinetry. Again, post staining, pre-painting.

Formal dining with molding up. See slight different between the color on the walls and the white paint on the moulding? Yea, me neither.

Great Big Weepy Psychotic Hormonal Mess

2008-04-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

Correction: It has been brought to my attention that in my discombobulated state I got some of the facts wrong on my last post. First of all, Vince did not ask me to wait when I called him from the bathroom for some clean underwear. Wouldn't want anyone to think that cleaning the mattress was more important to him than I am. He states that he brought them to me immediately and that was when we heard the awful rasping/gasping sound. When he pulled me forward to help me gain consciousness is when I stopped breathing. But the part about scaring the sh*t out of him, that part I got correct. Just so you know.

Our day started like any other Sunday. Up at a reasonable time, get the kids and self ready, head off to 10am Mass. We knew we had a showing at 4pm, but got a call for another showing at 1pm on our way back home from Mass. Did I mention our rental house is on the market? Oh, that will have to be a whole other post. I had prepped the ingredients for blueberry scones the night before and thought I'd throw a batch in the oven, get the house quickly picked up for the showing, and we'd be out the door after Mass to head over to Azle to see the new house.

Everything was going as planned, the scones were baked, the kids were munching along happily. I chose a scone for myself, then put it down to head upstairs to make sure everything was nice and cleaned up for the showing. It all went down hill from there. I came back down stairs to find my scone gone. Someone else had eaten it. I'd only gotten maybe four bites, then someone took it for themselves. I'm not naming any names, I'm not even sure who it was, but it didn't matter. It also didn't matter that there were four other untouched, warm, fresh-from-the-oven scones that I could have easily taken to finish. You would have thought by my reaction that someone had just stolen or vandelized one of my most prized possessions. I got hot, a knot in my stomach, a rage in my chest. I actually flashed back to my teenage years, when I remember something so trivial getting me to such a state of rage, and knowing that I was being ridiculous, but not being able to stop myself anyway. This was not an uncommon thing during my teens. Be afraid, be very afraid. So after angering my husband and scaring my children, my anger turned to sadness. A sadness that I couldn't explain. A sadness that stayed with me for the remainder of the day.

We got to Azle and the builders were there on a Sunday, trying to keep on schedule for us as best they could. The cabinets were in, stained and beautiful. That didn't help. The granite was in, and it didn't look too dark like I thought it would. That didn't help either. Most of the lighting fixtures were up. Eh, who cares. Vince commented on the paint, and I didn't even notice that the house had been painted. I choose too light a color for the interior. Anger at myself and big weepy tears. The kitchen sick wasn't the dimensions I asked for, it was too small. Anger at the builders, and more tears. I didn't like the way they changed the laundry room into a laundry area and half bath. More anger, more tears.

We came home and Vince placed a call to the builders to see what could be changed and what I would just have to learn to live with. He was very patient and concerned during my meltdowns. I realize I'm pretty bitchy anyway, but normally nothing like this. I'm sure my hormones are just getting the better of me and I'm going to have to ride them out until I get back to normal.

The highlight of my day was a last minute trip to Target to get some cucumbers and pasta for dinner tonight while Vince put the kids to bed. Before I headed back home I sat in the car in the parking lot and shoved 100 Grand bars and Crunchy Reese Peanut Butter bars down my throat. Not a good day.

After my last post, Vince told me that if there ever was a need for some cuteness, it was that post. So here you go. Updated photos of the house to come soon.

A Compromising Position

2008-04-25T14:47:00.001-07:00

Warning: This post is not for the feint of heart or the easily queasy. If you are one of those people, consider yourself warned. If you decide to keep reading, do so at your own risk. I do not want to receive any complaints about how gross you thought my post was, you are an adult, take responsibility for your actions.

My body finally kicked in. Unfortunately it decided to take charge of the situation in the wee wee hours of Wednesday morning. I woke up at 4am in a puddle of my own blood. I'm not exaggerating or I would have written "pool". But it was a big enough puddle, soaked through my PJ's, the sheets, the mattress pad, and even down into the mattress. Ugh. I stumbled off to the bathroom, while Vince woke up and found the mess I left behind. He quickly stripped the bed, got everything into the washing machine, then started tackling the mattress.

Once in the bathroom I couldn't believe the mess. I've given birth four times now, and I've never remembered loosing that much blood. Then the wooziness hit. I felt like I was going to pass out, but being stuck on the potty I couldn't really do much about it. I put my head between my knees as best I could and slowly the buzzing in my ears, and the shaking stopped. I clumsily got as cleaned up as I could then realized I ran out of toilet paper and needed clean underwear and PJ's. I called Vince and asked him to bring me some clean underwear, I'd worry about clean PJ's once out of the bathroom. Vince asked me to wait just a minute, he was working on the mattress, so I just decided to hang out. Honestly, what else could I do, I was stuck.

At this point I'm going by what I was told, Vince said he heard a thump, so he called to ask if I was alright. When I didn't respond he asked again. No response. Now, obviously I'm alive, since I'm sitting here writing this, Vince says he walked to the bathroom door and heard this awful rasping/gasping sound, then nothing at all. I feel I must explain at this point that we don't have an open-door pee policy in our house. If you're using the bathroom, shut the door. Some things are just better left to the imagination, if you feel the need to imagine those things anyway. Vince decided to hell with the closed-door pee policy, opened the door and found me passed out on the potty. Passed out, a bloody mess, and not breathing. He pulled me forward, got my head as low as he could, and I don't think very long passed before I came to. But I came to confused, sobbing, and broken out in an awful sweat.

Now this is why my husband is my hero. First of all, he handled the situation beautifully. He was strong, didn't loose his head, was sympathetic, gentle, patient and loving. After he told me I scared the sh*t out of him of course. And told me not to die on him. Kind of sweet actually. He took the day off work, took care of me and the kids all day, and did it all without one complaint. Honestly, I was useless all of Wednesday. Horizontal and useless. Even now, he checks on me constantly, my state of mind and how I'm doing physically, without the slightest hint of being grossed out, even though he must be, I know I am. Finally, he got the mattress perfectly clean. Can't even tell there was ever anything on it to begin with. He is the Stain Master.

So at this point I have no shame. My husband has witnessed me giving birth to four children, and pooping on the doctor during the third, but he still finds me attractive, amazingly enough. I should be counting my lucky stars. But to be found passed out on the potty? I have achieved a new low, but he still loves me anyway.

Moving On

2008-04-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your kind comments, e-mails and phone calls. It's good to know we have friends who are so supportive. My mom even sent a beautiful bouquet of orchids. I'd like to apologize if you called and I didn't pick up the phone. I find that the more I talk about it, the more I cry, but every one's concern is greatly appreciated. Some days are better than others, and I'm still surprised by my reaction to all of this. My body is still doing nothing, which is very frustrating, but I do have a doctors appointment tomorrow. One of the most dreaded doctors appointments I can recall ever having.

The house is coming along quickly. We had more decisions to make this past weekend. The final decisions I'm happy to say. We had to pick the granite for the counter tops and the stain for the cabinetry. The granite picking wasn't too bad. Either we liked it or we didn't, either it was in our budget or it wasn't. Those two criteria narrowed our choices down to just two or three, so not too bad. The cabinetry stain was another matter all together. We were given a stain brochure that had little 1"x1" square photos of oak shown in the various stains. First problem, Vince likes a light or no stain at all, I like a deep rich stain. Polar opposites. Second problem, it's hard to tell anything with a 1"x1" square photo. Third, we don't have oak cabinets, we have alder cabinets. Fourth problem, not all woods stain the same. So after much debate, and a bit of emotional outbursts on my side which were most definitely coming out sideways, Vince asked for some sample pieces of alder stained in four of the colors we were considering. And boy howdy was I glad he did! The darkest stain turned out as light as the lightest stain, I thought they had labeled the samples wrong. But no, just proof that different woods take stain differently. So after being appalled that we were asked to pick our stain from a tiny brochure picture with examples of a completely different species of wood, we finally came to a decision. And I am happy to say that should be the end of our decision making for the time being.

So on to some photos . . .

We have walls! All textured and waiting for paint.

I went by the house yesterday, but forgot the camera, so there has been even more progress made, but these photos are from last weekend. As of yesterday we also have baseboards, interior doors, cabinetry, and the fireplace is bricked/stoned.

And some much needed cuteness . . .

Francesca found the infant sunglasses I had bought when Annamaria was a baby. They're way too small, even for her tiny pea head, but she thinks they make her look cool anyway.

Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone

2008-04-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon I had an appointment at the OB's office for my routine monthly checkup at 10 weeks 3 days. My doctor had to do a sonogram to find the baby's heartbeat since it was still kind of early to pick it up on the Doppler. I knew something was wrong during the sonogram because it took way to long, and neither the doctor or the nurse said a thing. Again, I knew something was wrong, but didn't want to say anything in case I was just being over reactive. My doctor turned off the machine, the nurse gave me a quick smile then turned on her heels and left the room. Then my doctor looked up at me and said he was sorry, but there wasn't any heartbeat. What was I supposed to say to this? I told him I thought something was wrong since he was taking so long and no one was saying anything, he responded that he liked to be sure in a cases like this. He said there wasn't any heartbeat, the baby was only measuring at nine weeks, and it looked like the sac was starting to pull away from the uterine wall. I had no spotting, no cramping, and after four textbook easy, complication free pregnancies this was really the last thing I was expecting. I was able to keep it pretty much together in the office and didn't totally loose it until I was in the car on the way back home.

I knew Vince would be upset. He was the one who was so happy and excited about this baby. I was never able to move past uncomfortable and trepidation, so my emotional reaction to all this has surprised me. My brain knows that these things are quite common, and that there isn't anything I did wrong. But a part of me feels like God knew I was nervous about a fifth baby at this point, and maybe he said, "What you don't want him/her? Fine, I'll take him/her back". Again, my brain knows this isn't right, but it's a hard feeling to shake. I'm also surprised at how strongly I can mourn over the loss of a baby that I never got to hold, never got to see, and never realized how much I already loved. Vince says he wonders how he can miss someone so much that he never even knew.

Since the baby is still hanging in there, and my body hasn't kicked in yet, I have another OB appointment next week. The doctor said he could prescribe something that would cause my uterus to contract and possibly move things along or he could do a D&C. I'm not comfortable with either option, so we're in the wait and see period. I asked how long we could wait before taking more aggressive action if my body never does kick in, and he said they could wait up to four weeks. So the physical part of this may be all over with quickly, or it could be pretty drawn out. The emotional part of this? Who knows.

I'm sure there is a lesson in all this, and all things happen for a reason, but at this point I failing to see what that is.

We Have Brick!

2008-04-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

And a picture of somebody's butt! How exciting. I'm headed over to Azle tomorrow to get Sophia started on her orthodontic work, and the office is about five minutes from the new house, so I'm sure we'll be driving by to see how the progress is going. We were hoping to be at this point last weekend but the window delivery was delayed. And you can't brick until the windows are in, hence the delay in the brick and stone work. Also, apparently you can't dry wall until the windows are in, so last Saturday when we went by the dry wall was stacked all about the house.

Now the windows were in at this point (see above pic), but the owner of the dry wall company took his son to Vegas for his 21st birthday, so all his workers decided to take advantage of his absence and decided not to show for work on Saturday either. I can't really blame them, it was a very nice day.

Decisions Decisions

2008-04-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not complaining, even though it may sound like it, because it's really very exciting to even have all these options. But I'm not a good decision maker, I think I'd rather just put off making the decision versus making the wrong decision. I question myself constantly. I knew we were going to have a lot of decisions to make regarding the house, but it seems they're mostly getting dumped on us at once, and it's a bit overwhelming. And remember, being pregnant, I probably shouldn't be making any major decisions anyway what with all the hormones running amok. Luckily I have Vince to keep me grounded, and not get too crazy. And also luckily, we either pretty much agree on things, or about certain things he just doesn't care enough to argue.

About a month ago we had to pick the brick and stone for the exterior for the house. That was really hard. It's not like a paint color that I could simply paint over if I decided I didn't like it. We're talking about a major permanent decision. Or very costly to change anyway. But we got past that one, and honestly it wasn't too painful. After looking and looking and looking at houses in our development, houses in our rental development, random houses as we drove by going to or from whatever it was we were going to or from and not really finding anything we were crazy about, we pulled into our builders spec house to meet with them, looked at the brick they had on that house and both decided we wanted ours to be just like that. All that agonizing for nothing. Vince liked the stone they had chosen too, but I thought it was too yellow and wanted Austin stone, a creamy white stone. He went along with my preference, maybe just to keep the peace or maybe just so we could get on with life, I don't know, but we were finally able check off that decision.

Then, a couple of weekends ago we picked the carpet for the bedrooms, and the hard flooring for the rest of the house. Vince hates carpet, and since we're only having it put in the bedrooms, I pretty much had free reign on that choice. We're having the builders put vinyl flooring through the rest of the living space, and Vince will be putting in hardwood flooring as time and costs allow on his own once we're moved in. That decision saved us $12K, so I can live with vinyl for now. That was one more decision made.

Last Monday we drove into Fort Worth under threats of severe thunderstorms to pick the appliances for the kitchen. Of course I went over budget, we all knew that I would. But we were happy to find out that we were able to get Jen Air appliances for less than the Kitchen Aid appliances that I had back in California. Double convection wall ovens - check. Six burner professional cook top - check. Stainless ceiling hood - check. So that was pretty much a no brainer. Except for the dishwasher. Go with the Jen Air dishwasher so the handle would match the ovens, or save $250 and go with a GE dishwasher with all the same applications, but the handle didn't match. They're all made by Whirlpool anyway. At first I went with the GE, feeling guilty about going over the budget. Vince wasn't too sure of my decision, but it's my kitchen so he wasn't going to argue. No surprise to him when I changed my mind four days later and told him I wanted to go with the Jen Air dishwasher. He made the call, and changed the order. We already have a refrigerator and microwave, so some of the appliances will match, and others won't. But why spend the money on a refrigerator and microwave when you already have one? Maybe for the rich, but not for us.

After leaving the appliance store we headed to Arlington to go pick lighting fixtures for the house. I had no idea how many lighting fixtures we would have to decide on. So many, that we had to go back on Saturday and finish up because we ran out of time. Luckily the thunderstorm really hit while we were in the store, and by time we left it had moved on. So, how many lights did we want in our garage? What about the carriage lights? Two by the garage and two by the front door. What about the light that hangs in the exterior entryway by the front door? And the interior entryway light? The formal dining light? The dining lights in the kitchen? The living room, ceiling fan or just a light? The stairway sconces? The master hall sconces? The bedrooms lights? Again, ceiling fans or just lights. The bedroom hallway lights? The fixtures for the bathrooms, the powder room, and the tiny little room that the master toilet is in? What about the master closet? What about the doorbell? The doorbell! I thought she was kidding, but no, we got to pick what our doorbell looked like and what the chime box looked like. No, we did not pick the Texas star doorbell. By the way, we just picked the simple "I don't even want to see it" chime box. But did you know you can spend upwards of $100 on the box for your doorbell chimes? Ridiculous. My head was reeling. The styles, the sizes, the finishes. Thankfully they had a little area set up for the kids with a TV/VCR, videos, coloring books and crayons. The kids were amazingly well behaved. I'm supposed to get a call today to see how we did on our lighting budget. After we made our choices on Monday we were up to $1,400, half of our lighting budget. I don't think we had $1,400 left worth on choices for Saturday, so I'm anxious to see how we did. I'm hoping we came in pretty well under budget to help make up for my kitchen over expenditures.

Tuesday we had to drive to Weatherford to the cabinet makers. Again, style choices, wood choices. Vince likes really rustic knotty wood like hickory. I like smooth sleek low grain wood like cherry. But I was determined to keep within our budget, so we went with a knotty alder in a fairly simple style with a rope detail on the corners. We don't pick a stain color until we meet with the painter and choose the interior house color as well. The cabinet maker said the amount of knotting in the wood varies, and would use wood with a low amount of knots for me. So some character, but not too much. I'm just not a rustic kind of gal but since I will be living out in the boonies I figured a little was alright.

So I think all we have left to choose is the cabinet stain, the interior paint color, and the granite for the counter tops. I don't think I'll be able to choose the cabinet stain or the granite until I know what the other will look like. I hope everyone involved is patient, because my brain hurts.

And just to throw in one more gut wrenching decision, Vince wants to know what we're going to call this baby if it's a girl. We've had a boy's name picked since we had Annamaria, and for some reason he's very anxious to get a name out of me, but I just don't work that way. I like to have it narrowed down, then wait until I meet the baby. How do you name someone you've never met before? Vince picks the boy's names, so I can just go with that, but after three girls it's becoming harder and harder to find a name that I feel good about.

Again, not complaining, I'm just saying.

This Is Not A Joke

2008-04-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like my words are failing me. I'm finding hard to convey my thoughts appropriately, so I'll just plod along and ask that you forgive me for my lack of eloquence.

With all our current good news I feel compelled to share some very not good news. One of the blogs I read daily is Emily's of Not That You Asked. I don't know Emily personally, but I've been reading her blog for some time now. I enjoy reading her blog for many reasons. She's funny, entertaining and sensitive. Emily lives in Virginia, has a son about Francesca's age, and one of her husbands greatest joys is going out for a big old pile of steamed blue crab. I guess she just struck a cord with me.

The other day Emily posted about her friends, the Mandells. Their daughter, again about Francesca's age, is sick. Very, very sick. You can read about this sweet little child here. . . http://captainhambone.typepad.com/not_that_you_asked/2008/03/these-are-our-g.html Her post brought me to tears. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm a pregnant hormonal mess right now, but I cannot even fathom what her parents must be going through. They've dropped everything and put their lives on hold to be at their daughter's side. What else as parents would we all do?

I asked Vince if we could make a donation to helping them, and he gave me the green light. They are on my mind constantly, and I find myself making little prayers for them throughout the day. But still it's not enough. So I feel the need to help spread the word. I have a fear of getting cancer. Whether it be breast, ovarian, whatever. But for an 18 month old to be diagnosed with it is just wrong and unfair on so many levels. My heart aches for them.

While I enjoy blogging to catch up with what is going on with my far away friends, post some pictures of cookies and whatnot, how great would it be to use this tool for good. Not just some pass the time and enjoy myself good, but actually reach out and help someone good. Whether that help comes in the form of prayers, well wishes, good vibes, or donations. I'm sure every little bit is helpful.

The Joke Is On Me

2008-04-02T08:29:00.001-07:00

That is a positive pregnancy test, just in case you were wondering what you were looking at.

Coming Clean

2008-04-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have a secret. A secret I feel I can no longer keep to myself. It's going to come out eventually anyway, so I figure why not just go ahead and put it out there. Now I realize that this information will cause many different reactions in many different people. When I informed my Grandma of my secret the news sent her into a fit of making many blasphemous statements. Some will be happy, some will be angry, some may even be threatened. Some will think, "how wonderful", and others will think we're incredibly irresponsible.

Deep breath, here we go . . . Booth baby number five is coming to a hospital near me this fall.

So there you are. I'll let you digest this information for a little while, compose yourselves, talk amongst yourselves, whatever it is you feel the need to do.

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled "New House Obsessed" Posts

2008-03-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone. The cookies are nearly all eaten, though there are still plenty of jelly beans. Time to get back to "The House".

I just checked back, and the last photo of our house was only of the frame for the slab to be poured. So much has changed! We took the drive to Azle on Saturday, and as we came around the corner Sophia exclaimed, "That's our house!?". The last time we were there they had just started framing it out, it's now completely framed, Tyvec wrapped, roofed and partly shingled, and the wires were being run for everything electrical. What a difference a week makes. So just for photographic prosperity, we have . . .

Slab Pre-Pour.

Wet Slab.

Beginning of the framing.

More framing.

The trees in front are going to be removed. There is a Cedar and an Oak, but they're just too close to the house to leave. We weren't sure about how close they'd look until now, and the builders didn't want to remove them if we wanted them, and I like the idea of keeping as many trees as possible, but they really are too close so they'll have to go.

Saturday, the house looked like . . .

The Front of the House

Side View (you can see the garage behind the tractor)

Rear View

And a view of our backyard from upstairs . . .

After all that running around the construction site, and a chinese dinner in which they covered themselves in sweet-and-sour sauce those babies really needed a bath.Plus this post needed some cuteness.

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

No post on actual Easter day. There was just too much going on. We were planning on attending the 8:30 mass but Vince's alarm was silenced (probably by Francesca who loves playing with his cell phone). So we made it out the door for 10:30 mass, got there in plenty of time, half an hour early, only to find out there was only standing room left in the hallway. Where did all these people come from? Good grief. So first I was majorly annoyed, but then got over it. So we stood out in the hallway by the bathrooms, trying to hear mass. Vince held Francesca the entire time, I got to put Annamaria down on occasion, but we both made it through and felt better for sticking it out and staying. Once we got home the kids got to tear into their baskets, while I put together the cookie tray for the brunch at our friends house. Then quickly out the door again. We didn't get back home until after 5pm. The kids had a great time, a huge Easter egg hunt, and we got to visit with other adults. It never feels quite right without family, but it was a nice day. I had to buy a ham too since they were on sale, so I'll be making our own little post-Easter feast next weekend. Oh, and that same gloppy green bean casserole from last year was brought to the brunch again. I knew I should have volunteered to bring the green bean casserole.

Easter Cookies 2008: Day Five

2008-03-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

Whew! The cookies are finished, the salmon torte is assembled, so all I have left is to put together the Easter Baskets. I'm pooped and my back hurts.

We did our usual Holy Saturday thing and dyed our Easter eggs. Last year Francesca was still to young to get it, but this year she was going to pop a vein or something. She got so excited, so happy when we handed her an egg. She would force the egg into the cup of dye like it had to be shoved or something. Then she got really upset that she couldn't scoop the egg immediately back up. So we would quickly have to hand her another egg to keep her satisfied. She laughed, she cried. It was a roller coaster of a ride. Oh, and she thought the dye was some kind of drink or something. We tried warning her not to drink it, but she kept having a fit about it. So we finally let her go at it thinking the vinegar would turn her off, but no. She liked it anyway. Weird child. All the kids had a really good time, and the evening ended on a positive note.

My last two cookies are . . .

Blondies

Like brownies but without all the chocolate. I know. Why would you bother without all the chocolate. But they do have semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, so there is actually chocolate. They're very good. A nice change of pace from the routine brownie. Oh yes, and they have pecans in them too. Shut up!

Decorated Butter Cookies

I finally found a recipe for a nice rich butter cookie, the only problem is that one recipe doesn't make that large of a batch for a bunch of cut-outs. But since I have nine other types of cookies sitting around the house, I think that's o-kay. I stuck to bunnies, carrots and sheep this year. Trying to keep with the whole Easter theme. And the kids had fun decorating theirs too. Only Francesca couldn't be bothered with the decorating part and just went straight to the eating portion of the program. Who could blame her?

Easter Cookies 2008: Day Four

2008-03-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

I'm super tired today. Can you say procrastinate? Because today we had to go buy an Easter dress for Annamaria, one for Sophia, a new Easter shirt for Harrison, and shoes for everyone. Thankfully we're putting Francesca in Annamaria's dress from last year. Seems like we're cheating, but I don't think she'll mind.

Thankfully I got my cookies done before we left the house for our Easter-shop-a-thon. So today we have . . .

Caramel Frosted Brown Sugar Drops

These sound like a tooth ache waiting to happen, but they're so good. Really not too sweet at all. The cookies are soft and cake-like. They seem like old-fashioned comfort food. And anything frosted in caramel has my vote. The recipe called for pecans, but had a note that they were just as good without the pecans. Even better without the pecans in my opinion, not that I've tried them with though. My only complaint is that I ran out of frosting before all my cookies were topped, so I have some leftover naked cookies. Sophia tried a naked one and said that they were good too. I think I'll wait until we run out of the frosted ones before I try a naked one though.

Lime Glazed Coconut Snowballs

These are simple butter cookies all dressed up, and Sophia was very helpful in making these. She helped me roll the dough into little balls for baking. Then I put her in charge of decorating, and she dipped each baked cookie into the lime glaze, made sure it had just enough glaze before dipping into the coconut. And I have to say, I think she did professional work.

Easter Cookies 2008: Day Three

2008-03-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Cookies and Crying.

Francesca had her 18 month "well baby" appointment today, which included one shot in her chubby chubby thigh. And she's so cripplingly shy, that just the nurse or doctor walking into the exam room caused her to bury her head into by chest. But other than that, she's happy and healthy. She's hit all her milestones; walks at different speeds, drinks from a cup, uses a fork/spoon, starting to talk, etc, etc. Her stats kind of surprised me though, her height and weight came in at 34th percentile. She's my chunk of ham, so I'm really surprised that she's actually that small. Vince says the world is just filled with enormous fat babies. Oh, and her head circumference came in at 17%. Now if you saw her you'd probably think what a nice fat round head she has. But nope. 17%. She actually has a tiny pea head, but just carries if off amazingly well.

As far as cookies go, today we have . . .

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now I know that I've made it perfectly clear how I feel about nuts in my baked goods, but these are different. First of all, the name of the cookies makes it perfectly clear that there are nuts in these. No surprises. No one offering me a cookie or brownie, in which I get all excited, take a bite and crunch down on a walnut/pecan much to my horror. I hate that, that surprise nut in all my soft chocolaty goodness. So no surprises, I know what to expect and can prepare for it. Second of all, it's chocolate and hazelnuts. Are there any other two flavors that go together so perfectly? I'm having a hard time thinking of any. Anyway, half of the nuts are hand chopped, and the other half are ground with the flour. So these truly are Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts. It's perfectly appropriate that the Hazelnut comes first in the name of these cookies. And while they're not all soft and gooey, like I usually prefer my chocolate chip cookies, they have a wonderful flavor and I would definitely make them again.

Praline Meringue Puffs

I know, I know. More nuts. And worse, pecans. But, these only have two tablespoons of flour in the entire recipe, and no butter. So, very little flour and no butter, can these even be considered cookies? I think not. Well maybe, but more like candy to me. Anyway, whipped egg whites and brown sugar. So what if there are nuts in there, they're still good. And everyone loves them. And they disappear fast. And they're easy to make. What else? I don't know, but I'm o-kay that these have nuts in them, so I'll make another exception to my "no nut" rule.

Easter Cookies 2008: Day Two

2008-03-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

Another day, two more cookies . . .

Benne Seed Wafers

Benne Seeds = Sesame Seeds. These didn't turn out quite right, I made them last year and made a note to up the amount of flour so they're thicker than they're supposed to be. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup flour. That leaves the cookie batter almost soup like. No way to shape these into balls. So I increased the about of flour, but too much. They're supposed to be thin and crisp. So these turned out thicker, but they still taste great.

Iced Lemon Shortbread Fingers

Alright, so they're short chubby fingers, but really, who cares? These are awesome. I made these last year too. So good. The shortbread is soft and crumbly, with a nice lemon tartness. I don't think they are destined for the Easter cookie tray though. They're just not going to make it to Sunday.

Easter Cookies 2008: Day One

2008-03-18T12:55:00.001-07:00

Here we go again . . .

Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

I was going to take a picture once the slab was broken up, but Vince ate it all. Just kidding, he munched on quite a bit, but only while taking it upon himself to bag it up for me. Very helpful. It was super humid yesterday, and the brittle was starting to get tacky, so he was trying to save it. And he did. He's good like that.

Cane Syrup Oatmeal Cookies

Cane Syrup is kind of like molasses, but not quite as strong tasting. These were Vince's request. I bought a jar of Lyle's Golden Syrup after reading a recipe for Chocolate Biscuit Cake on someone else's blog and had to try the recipe. All of the ingredients were only available at World Market around here except for the butter, and the Biscuit Cake was only "eh", but Vince fell in love with the Golden Syrup. So when I read about Cane Syrup, he found some at the grocery store and bought it. So I had to make these for him. The recipe calls for raisins, which I left in (sorry Jessica), and pecans, which I left out. Because please. Pecans in oatmeal cookies? I don't think so. They're good, and really moist, but Vince never gave me his official opinion on these, so the jury is still out.

More to come tomorrow. Because cookies aren't just for Christmas.

St. Patrick's Day?

2008-03-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

I'm off my game. I didn't realize today was St. Patrick's Day until I checked my organizer this morning. I checked the food ads to see who was running a special on corned beef, and the only thing I could find was cabbage on sale, 3 lbs. for a dollar. Huh? So we hit a couple of grocery stores this morning, I needed things for Easter cookies anyway, but no sign of corned beef. Unless I wanted it precooked from the deli department. More people than usual were wearing green. Not any of us of course. And there were plenty of green decorated Lofthouse cookies, but that's it. Weird. So I picked up a brisket, not corned, and we're having St. Pat's dinner Texas style. Bar-be-cued brisket, beans and coleslaw. I'm not Irish, so I'll just go with it.

Daylight Savings Dumbass

2008-03-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise as I'm standing in my fuzzy blue robe on Sunday morning, thinking I had a half hour to get ready for mass after getting the kids ready, when Sophia announced that, "today is Daylight Savings Time". Huh? Mass was starting right that moment. No half hour to get ready. No half hour to get the kids loaded into the car and to get there. Gah, I hate Daylight Savings Time! Not so much the time change in the Fall, because I could always use and extra hour of sleep, and at worst I'm an hour early for something, but the time change in the Spring just bites. But Vince has reminded me that the time change in the Fall is actually the end of Daylight Savings Time, so actually the only thing I like about it is it's ending.

So besides feeling jet lagged without the actually benefit of traveling anywhere, my jaw is out of alignment. I'm not sure when this happened. I woke up feeling fine, i.e. jet lagged, but at some point today my jaw must have slipped out of it's proper alignment because my teeth aren't meeting correctly and my left jaw socket is sore. I'm not sure what to do for it other than give it time. I'm just hoping it doesn't require too much time to correct itself.

The babies refused to nap today, and instead decided to have a poop-a-thon. After an hour and fifteen minutes of thumping, chattering and just plain not going to sleep, Annamaria started yelling that she's pooped. So double poopy diaper duty for me. The joy. The past couple of days I've tried to introduce the idea of potty training. The kicker is that Francesca, the 18 month old, is more than willing to cooperate and actually pooped on the potty for me. While Annamaria, the 34 month old, sits on the potty and yells that she wants her Minnie diaper. Or "biper" as she calls it.

And I'm out of dinner ideas. So tonight, I think we're having breakfast for dinner. Which no one will complain about I'm sure. I've been wanted to try to make a homemade crumb coffee cake, and I have a recipe for one, but the topping calls for 1 cup of nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds). But I don't want nuts in my coffeecake. Can I just leave them out? One cup seems like a lot to just leave out without putting something else in it's place. What's up with the nuts in everything? Not that I have anything against nuts, I'm not allergic or anything, but I just don't like nuts in my soft baked goods. Ruins the whole thing. No nuts in my brownies. No nuts in my cookies. I know. I'm weird.

And the perfect ending to my perfect crabby rant, I have an Ob/Gyn appointment tomorrow. And we all know how much we love those. There is a reason I haven't been since Francesca was born.

Snow!

2008-03-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

Finally, the first signs of winter around here. We were told when we moved out here that it snows every other year, and since we had a good winter last year I thought our chances of seeing the white stuff was nil. But mother nature didn't let me down. She took her sweet ass time about it, but snow at last.

I love snow. One of the things I miss about living in Virginia is snow. Well snow, and blue crab, and Chesapeake Bay Seasoning flavored potato chips, and blue crab.

Anyway, the kids were really excited, but it didn't start snowing until it was already dark out, so I promised they could go outside and play in it in the morning. Sophia asked me if when she woke up she could get dressed and go outside to the snow. I told her sure, just not to wake me up. And suprisingly, I was already up before she was. But by 7am she was out, freezing her buns off. I made her come in to get her school work done, but as soon as it was, her and Harrison were back outside. Of course most of the snow had melted already, just some left on the window sills.

So they made the world's smallest snowman. I don't know why the picture of Harrison is blurry, Sophia took the pictures, I was inside prepping dinner.

February Catch Up

2008-02-27T10:42:00.001-08:00

It hasn't been too long since my last post, but I feel like I'm behind on what has been going on here.

Valentine's Day was nice and low key. The kids and I donned our Valentine aprons and made some cookies.

Only three kinds since I had just pitched the last of the uneaten Christmas cookies. We made Almond Sweethearts (which are macaroons), Chocolate Hearts (meringues), and heart shaped Rice Krispie Treats. I found these strawberry flavored pink marshmallows in the grocery store, so how could I resist? The Rice Krispie Treats were my favorite. I swear I could eat the entire tray, no exaggeration. For dinner I made rack of lamb, potatoes and asparagus. Vince requested this port and cherry sauce for the lamb, but since he took the bag of dried cherries to work to munch on, he got port and cranberry sauce. No one complained. For dessert I made a batch of hot fudge sauce and served it over Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream with whipped cream. Nice and simple. You just can't beat the classics.

The next day was Vince's 41st birthday. Some friends planned to meet us for sushi and we arranged for a babysitter. For once Sophia didn't mind being left behind because our sitter is our friend's daughter and the kids love her. For some reason I felt guilty about leaving the kids behind though, so I made them homemade deep dish pizza for dinner. One was spinach-feta and the other tomato-basil. They turned out so good. I've been wanted to try making it for a while now and finally got off my butt and did it. I'm so glad I did, it will be a regular item at our house now. Of course I had to taste them before leaving for the sushi restaurant, but my sushi appetite was not diminished in the least. There are many things I miss living in Texas, and sushi is one of them. But our friends recommended this place, and it was really good.

The new house is coming along. The rough plumbing has been put in place and last Saturday we picked the brick and stone for the exterior of the house.

Sophia has made getting her school work done in a timely manner her lenten sacrifice. It was pointed out to her that getting her school work done is not actually a sacrifice but something that is expected of her on a daily basis, but I'll take it where I can get it.

That's about it. I've decided I'd like a new digital camera. Ours is over five years old, doesn't zoom, and the flash washes out the color. Maybe the Easter bunny will be good to me.

He's Trying To Kill Me

2008-02-20T14:29:00.001-08:00

If I fall over dead, don't be suprised. It will be from weakening of my arterial walls, or a stroke, or something else stress induced.

Harrison does these things, things he knows he's not suposed to do, but he doesn't know why he does them. And it isn't here or there, now and again, on occasion, it's just about everyday. Everyday there is another, "I don't know", coming from his lips. Everyday I'm trying to understand why he just did whatever it was he just did, that he knew he wasn't suposed to do, but did it anyway.

I could give many examples, the list goes on and on. But just today for example. Sophia got to take a bubble bath in our big tub in the master bath. Harrison wanted to take a bath too. But he's sick. He's sick with a hacking cough. A cough that makes him cough so much he ends up gagging. So I didn't want him in the tub, all wet, and eventually shivering because he won't get out until the water is stone cold and he's therefore shivering. And trying to get him out of the tub before the water is stone cold and he's all shivery, is just more than I want to put up with right now. And I know, I know, I'm the mom. Take charge and all that. Well, I did. I said "no", to the bath, and I even went so far as to tell him why no bath. So why did he squirt Neutrogena Rainbath Gel into his hair after I told him no bath? Why did he come to me, and the first words out of his mouth were, "I put bath gel in my hair, and I don't know why"? I'm thinking it was his sneaky attempt to get a bath anyway. If he put bath gel in his hair, I'd have to rinse it out, right? Rinsing it out would occur in the bathtub, right? Wrong! I stuck his head under the faucet, making sure to only rinse the top of his soapy head. Not that that will teach him. These I don't know moments have been repeated. Numerously.

"I don't know". Those are my trigger words these days.

That Ain't Oil

2008-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nope, it's water. Our builder sent pictures of our well being dug. What better gift for Valentine's Day than progress?

Why My Mom Is Da Bomb

2008-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Late yesterday I noticed a package left on our porch. It was the package my mom said she was sending us for Vince's birthday and for Valentine's Day. Inside the package was goodies for everyone!

1) For Vince's birthday, she sent a gift card to Roy's. Yuumm, Roy's. Thank you from the both of us, since I'm sure I'll be the one that gets to go with.

2) Also in the package was handmade Valentine's aprons for me and each of the kids. My and Sophia's aprons match with cupids and hearts, but someone had to take the picture. Harrison's apron has puppies and little paw prints. The babies have conversation hearts, one trimmed out in pink (Annamaria chose that one), and the other in purple. So cute!
I love how Francesca is looking at her whisk like, "What the heck is this thing, and what I'm I suposed to do with it?" And yes, the kids are in their PJ's, it was still early when I took the picture. So we're all outfitted for our Valentine cookie baking. And "thank you" Aunt Sue for the extra apron, a spare always comes in handy. ( A cute puzzle fabric one.)

3) And as if my new apron wasn't enough, there was a Starbucks gift card tucked into my apron pocket. Finding it just made me giddy all over. Of course Vince had to roll his eyes. He just doesn't understand, black coffee drinker that he is.

4) A generous contribution check towards Sophia's orthodontic needs. The kids needs some help. Much appreciated.

5) A pair of cords my grandma picked up at the $5.00 store for $2.50. Too small for her, too big for my mom. And while they're not typically anything I'd pick out for myself, they fit. So who am I to refuse a free pair of new pants? Thanks.

It was like a mini-Christmas.

Thank you Grandma Dee Dee. We love you!

Infant Water Safety

2008-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

O-kay, so apparently this is not new news.
I have been living in a cave in the far reaches outside of civilization.
Admittedly, I don't watch the news, it's usually too depressing and overly dramatic for my taste, so maybe that is why I missed this. But even so, I'm embarrassed to admit that I have four children and none of them know how to swim.
I have memories of swimming for as far back as my memory goes, but I grew up with a pool in our backyard. Still no excuse, my children are not strangers to water. Therefore I will be contacting one of these instructors immediately.

So just in case you've been living in a cave as well, check out this link. It's amazing.

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

Then go to www.infantswim.com

Two Weeks

2008-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

I realized that at first glance my title may be misleading. It may lead one to jump to wild conclusions even. So, just for clarity, no I am not two weeks pregnant, so just calm down. Don’t get excited.

Vince called me this morning, outside of his normal calling routine, to tell me Chris from Salt Creek (our builders) had just called him. She just wanted to let him know, that they’ll be doing the soil testing which should take two weeks. In the meantime they’ll be setting up the stakes to mark the foundation of the house. Once the soil test results come back, ground breaking will begin, and she said the process should just fly from there.

It was all good news. She was just keeping us updated. So why was it, when Vince told me Chris just called, did I stiffen? Clench up a bit even? I held my breath until he was done telling me what he wanted to tell me. It then took me a moment or two to process the information. It then took me another moment or two to realize that the information wasn’t bad. It was good even. They’ll be breaking ground in two weeks. Two weeks! So what bothers me is that I immediately went to the place where something must be wrong. Oh, what is it now?

Over the past year or two we’ve been through a bunch of crappy happenings. So now I’m just expecting it, the crappy happenings that is. But Vince is employed, we’re practically debt free (until we purchase this house anyway), everyone is healthy, etc., etc. But I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m expecting this house of cards to come a tumbling down. For the sh*t to hit the fan. I can’t just seem to relax, and enjoy the good times while they are here. Because I know, this too shall pass. Just like the crappiness passing, the happiness will pass. That’s life, right? It ebbs and flows, the happiness and the crappiness. You’ve got to take the good with the bad. For every sunshine, a little rain must fall. How many more clichés can I come up with?

It’s my ability, no tendency, to cling to the negative that bothers me. So, how does one become a half-full type person? Is it something you’re either born, or is it something you can learn? I heard a person say, “I believe if you just focus on the positive, all the negative stuff will just go away”. I immediately thought, “Wow, way to live in denial”.

Well either way, in two weeks I should be able to post pictures of more than brush and dirt.

Tumblina

2008-01-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

Look who took a tumble down the stairs . . .

No loss of consciousness or abnormal pupils. But there was much finger pointing, and even an accusation of pushing. I guess I should be more upset than this, but since she is the third child of mine that has now displayed a bump reminiscent of a rhino horn, I'm chalking it up to just part of being a child. At least it is when you have a mother that someone should have called CPS about years ago.

Looks like 2008 is going to be another year without the Mother of the Year award. And so early on too.

Our New Home

2008-01-30T13:37:00.001-08:00

Well? What do you think? Gorgeous, no? Yea, I know, looks like a bunch of scrub, except for that one stubby Cedar in the front. But soon, hopefully very soon, there will be a house in there somewhere. And the farther back on the lot you walk, the taller and older the trees get.

Sunday, Vince and I decided to take a drive out to our lot and let the kids run around and get used to our new location. Since we were unceremoniously bumped from Lot 49, we thought we let the kids (and us) investigate our new location. I think I'm going to like the change. I already mentioned the lack of headlights, and neighbor in the back, but Lot 69 has more trees, and room to roam.

The first thing we came across was kind of gruesome. Well, not as gruesome as it could have been, but still. Gick.

We walked to the back of our backyard and did a little investigating.

Vince tried recapturing his youth, and climbed a tree.

The kids had a great time playing, and looked like they were at the beach digging around. Francesca even ate a little dirt. Ugh!

So far, we're the only house on the street, even though we're not actually there yet. We heard there is a family building across the street from us, but from the looks of things, they've gotten about as far as we have. So, so far there isn't much to see.

Facing our lot looking left is our one neighbor, way over there. And actually there isn't anyone there yet, the house is still for sale.
Those are the people who's backyard will butt up against the front part of our side yard. Whoever they may turn out to be.

And Chris, our builder, called Vince today to give him our new address. We're no longer Lot 69. We're now 1*% Antler Ridge Court. (No I'm not posting my address on the internet.) Teasingly, I told Vince I didn't like it. 1*% just didn't sit well with me, they'd have to change it. He asked, "What do you want it to be? Number 4 Privet Drive?" How cool would that be? "What's your address? Oh. Mine is Number 4 Privet Drive". Call the county, see if they'll change it. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're just not as big a geek as I am.

Good-Bye Lot 49

2008-01-24T18:11:00.001-08:00

Oh yea Lena, thanks for asking. I hope your chair is comfy, this is going to be a long one.

Sunday came and went without any word from either our realtor or our builder. I was feeling pretty alright with the situation. Giving myself the old, "everything happens for a reason". Or as my friend Alayne told me, "You just weren't meant to have that lot". Whatever, apparently there are a quite a few things I'm just not meant to have, things that I think I really, really want. Gah.

But anyway, Monday Vince got the call from our builder telling him that yes, the lot sold. And no, there wasn't anything we could do about it. She told him something about our request to hold the property being verbal, and the other people having an actual contract on paper before ours, blah, blah, blah. So yes, TTMW did act without integrity, honor, or any sense of decency, but no, there wasn't anything we could do about it legal or otherwise. Other than hide outside her office, rush her when we see her heading out to her car, and bitch slapping her. But that probably would lead to some other legal action, of which I want no part. Once I got the official news, I was so angry. Not sure at who to be angry, but angry anyway. Close to tears angry. My beautiful one-acre, outside corner, pie-shaped, heavily treed lot - gone.

So Vince called me around 3:00pm on Monday with the news. I started looking at the plat map we had trying to figure out what our options were. The lots I liked were too sloped and would takes a lot of money to backfill them to even get them ready to build on. I really liked lot 67 and lot 66, but they were very, very slopey. "Down in the holler", as Vince would say. Some other lots that looked great on paper were under these huge power lines. All I could think was EMF's and brain tumors. The others were already taken. I did not like what I was seeing.

Vince wanted to take immediate action and get out and look at lot 69, the other lot he was considering. To take advantage of the quickly waning daylight, I woke napping babies, ditched Sophia's residual school work, grabbed some juice, cocoa, graham crackers and two packs of whole-wheat saltines (those things are strangely popular around here), and packed up the kids for the one and one-half hour drive out to Azle to look at the other lot, the more expensive lot. The more expensive lot that we were offered for the same money, much to our builder’s surprise because she said the owner hasn't accepted a $0.01 less than asking price on anything else so far. I'm thinking he knows his realtor acted out of line and was trying to appease us. Oh, and we're dealing directly with him now. TTMW got cut out of the deal. I guess there is a little justice in the world.

So I begrudgingly took off to Fort Worth to meet Vince at work so we could go to Azle together. The whole time I’m thinking, “Fine, I’ll pretend I’m a reasonable person. I’ll go, and I’ll look, and I’ll even pretend I’m considering it, but I’m not going to like it. It’s long and skinny. And three other lots back up on it’s left. I don’t care if it’s bigger, I don’t care if we’re “getting a deal”. It’s not my lot, I’m not going to like it, I don’t want it." I was wondering how long I was going to have to walk around to make this look convincing.

We got to the development with about fifteen minutes of daylight left. I asked Vince if he would mind if I got out of the car and walked around the lot to get a feel for it. See, I’m good at pretending to be a reasonable person. It was cold, and had rained earlier that day, but I trudged on. I found a bit of a path on the left side of the lot, the side that three other people’s backyards will back up to, and I started walking. I walked, and walked, and lost sight of the car. I kept walking, and walking, and finally saw, way back there, a stake in the ground with pink ties on it marking the back property line of the lot. Wow, the lot was deep. And the back left corner met the back right corner of the lot we originally came to see that brought us to the Deer Creek Development in the first place. And I loved lot 73. Loved it! It was pie shaped even. But the house was just too small for us. Then I realized that on the three lots that back up to the side, you can’t even see the houses. The houses, or I should say house because only lot 70 has a structure on it so far, are built way in the front of the property. I mean who wants to pay for all that concrete for an extra long driveway? Concrete is expensive these days. So I started thinking, “Who cares about the three neighbors on one side, if the neighbors are way over there?. And wow this lot goes back forever, and the trees.” There were so many trees, more than on lot 49. I kept expecting a deer to step out in front of me or something. I kept hearing little scurrying noises, and a twig snap now and then. I know deer don’t scurry, but it was kind of unnerving and I’m not an outdoorsy kind of person, but I thought the kids would dig it.

Starting to feel my stubbornness ebb, I walked back to the front of the lot, to the only place where I could actually walk the width of the lot without going through forest, to see just how narrow the lot was. 125 feet was too narrow on paper. I didn't like the look of it. But in person, 125 feet didn’t seem too narrow. Not as narrow as I thought it would anyway. Especially with there not being a house directly on the left. Those backyards butting up to the left of the property turned out to be a good thing, space wise anyway. Then I started thinking about the placement of the lot in relation to the street. Lot 49 was at the end of the street where it turned to end in a cul-de-sac. So while there would not be many people driving past the house, those few who did would have their headlights shining straight into our house. Not good. Plus there was the fact that even though I liked the pie shape of the lot, it wasn't very deep and there was a house built just beyond the back property line that wasn't part of the Deer Ridge development, and was therefore older and let's just say, less attractive. Geez, when did I get so snobby? So maybe I was just trying to talk myself out of something I could no longer have, but I began to appreciate that lot 69 was so deep, it wouldn't matter what was behind our back property line, because I wouldn't be able to see it anyway. And since lot 69 is after the turn to a cul-de-sac and on the inside corner, that meant no bright headlines shining into our house.

So short story long, we're going with lot 69. And while it is narrower than I would like, I think it's going to work well for us. And if I had all the money in the world, I would have liked to have had lot 67. But I just can't see paying $24K for a lot, then putting another $30 into it, just to get it ready to build on. I mean, if we had money like that, I'd probably build my 6,000 sq. ft. home in the Rolins Hills Estates, just down the road, where a one acre lot goes for $100K. But, they have an equestrian center. So, don't you think it's worth it?

Problems Already?

2008-01-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

First, some facts:
Our builders = Salt Creek Custom Homes
Salt Creek Custom Homes = Chris and Jim (Or maybe it's Tim. I know, that's terrible, but I'm terrible with names, and I just can't seem to get it straight).
Our development = Deer Creek Estates
Deer Creek Estates = 1 acre minimum lots, in a gated community, in Azle Texas
Deer Creek Estates Real Estate Rep = That Trouble Making Woman (TTMW) or otherwise called "that Bee-auch"
Azle Texas = 16 miles NW of Fort Worth

Now, for my story:
Last Saturday, us and Chris, met at the title company to sign all the paperwork, contracts, and turn over our earnest money. All the "t's" were crossed, and all the "i's" were dotted, and we were all very excited. After signing our life away, we even drove over to "our lot" and let the kids run around and have a good old time collecting bits of dried up flowers, twigs, and hide behind trees. They had a blast. They returned to the car all pink cheeked and happy. But a day or two ago Vince got a call from Chris to let us know of a "potential problem". The week before everything was signed, Chris called, and had to leave a message for, TTMW to let her know that we were interested in building on Lot 49. Chris told her everything would be signed the following weekend, and would she please put that lot on hold. Then this week when Chris contacted TTMW to get the property purchased for us, the Bee-auch informed her that she already wrote a contract on that lot just that week. Our lot was sold right out from under us. Yea, I'd call that a potential problem alright. Now Chris thinks that this agent is just messing with her, apparently they have a "history", and this agent is less than pleasant to deal with. So either TTMW is messing with Chris, and therefore also us, or she worked her hardest to make sure she sold the lot Chris asked her to hold. Just to spite her, Chris believes. So Chris contacted the property owner, who is in California for the week, and explained to him the situation. There was another lot Vince was considering, but it was $4K more, so he and our builders decided on the one we just lost, maybe. I say "maybe" because the owner will be back in Texas at the end of this week, and I guess he'll get things straightened out and we'll have more info by Sunday. But the one thing that was resolved was that if Lot 49 is gone, Salt Creek and the Deer Creek Estates owner agrees to each eat $2K, and we could have the other lot for the same price. While I should be grateful, it just doesn't seem like Salt Creek should have to eat anything. I like them, and it doesn't sound to me like they did anything wrong. Now the other lot is 1.48 acres, compared to Lot 49's 1.00 acre. And I know it's not the end of the world, there are plenty of other lots to be had. There are even plenty of other developments to be had. But I liked Lot 49. It was bluntly pie shaped, and had lots of pretty trees, and would have had a great view from upstairs. I talked myself in to it, and let myself get excited. So is this going to be the first of many glitches? I mean, ground hasn't even been broken yet. Or is this just one of those things? And while I'm still of the opinion that trying to sell a house is much more stressful and emotionally straining, and I thank God daily that we sold our house, and we're not trying to sell something in this market (honestly we really did get out just in time), it's turning out that trying to buy/build a house is no walk in the park either. Where's the joy? *Sigh*

Welcome Home

2008-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today Vince had the honor of doing something I've been wanting to do for a while. As a group, the veterans from his work went over to the DFW Airport, and got to welcome home our service men and women from Iraq. I'm not talking about supporting the war, the politicians, the Iraqi people, etc., etc. I'm talking about supporting the men and women who leave their homes, their families, and the safety of their country. They put their personal beliefs and safety aside, put their lives on the line, and do the job they signed on to do. Their sacrifice is great, and they deserve our respect and our gratitude. No matter how you feel about this war, for or against, I can't think of a better way to spend an hour or two. I read about this somewhere, that DFW is one of the most heavily visited airports for doing this.

Today 121 soldiers, sailors, and one marine came home to the DFW area. I asked if they looked happy to be greeted, and Vince said they did. Happy, surprised, even embarrassed. Being the big baby that I am, I couldn't even listen to him tell me about it without tearing up. Vince said he kept it together, but really had a hard time when he saw one soldier meet his baby daughter for the first time. A little blond, round cheeked three month old. The thing that bothered Vince was that he noticed this new father had a small knapsack, which meant he would be returning to the middle East after only two weeks R&R. I would have been bawling. Vince said the families line up first, the veterans form a line up against the wall and get to shake the hand of each service man/woman who comes off the plane. Then groups of children and everyone else get to greet them. Vince also said there were the "Greeting Grannies", in their hand knitted patriotic sweaters, who give each one a hug, and are there everyday we have service people coming home.

Then Vince told me after everyone debarked, his group went to Gate 14. Gate 14 is where our servicemen are waiting for flights to go back. I asked him how they seemed, and he said they seemed anxious, almost eager. Like they couldn't wait to get back. They have a sense of duty, and have brothers waiting for their return, they have a job to do. He said he knew how they felt.

Welcome Home and Thank You!

Chatty Kathy

2008-01-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I think the fact that I just spent two and a half hours on the phone with a friend screams for my need for some adult interaction. Not that kind of "adult interaction", Vince would be more than happy to oblige. Just some good ol' -sit down with your friends and chat- interaction. And the two and half hours was on my cell phone. Ugh! Good thing Vince just upgraded our Verizon account. And all because Sophia left her sweater at the baptism party and my friend wanted to let me know she had it. Poor thing, she didn't know what she was getting herself into. I bet quite a bit of time will pass before she dare call me again.

Man, Why You Gotta Hate?

2008-01-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

The house hunting is over.
We're having a house built.
The contracts are before us, the costs are in, the financing is all lined up. And when it's all said and done, I'm getting what I want, and Vince is getting what he wants. We're having a five bedroom, 3 1/2 bathroom house built on a one acre lot, in a very nice gated, yet rural area that is a forty minute commute for Vince.
We're getting to pick out the brick/stone, the flooring, the paint colors, lighting fixtures, appliances, the cabinets, the granite, etc, etc. The builders have pushed out walls, converted rooms, and pretty much done what we've wanted to make us happy.
The new year is here, Vince is doing well at work, the kids are happy and healthy, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all is right in our world. It's a time for celebration. And yet. And yet.
We attended a baptism yesterday for one of our friends newest additions, and even people we've met through these friends wanted the latest news on our house quest. One of the people there was our realtor, so maybe that made the topic fresh on their minds. We did not bring the subject up.
Everyone there knows what we've been through what with all our stuff being stolen, it taking so long for Vince to find work, being screwed by AAA, and I think they all were just genuinely happy for us. All but one couple. And the thing that bothers me, the thing that boggles my mind, is that this couple is one of our original "friends". A couple we knew from California. A couple we've knows for five years. And nothing, absolutely nothing, positive can come out of their mouths when the topic is us building a house.
When the topic first came up about us thinking about just having something built, her response was that it would take at least nine months, and most likely a year. I told her the builders said they could have a house completed for us in four months. She almost laughed at that, then went on to tell me that when she was having her house built it must have sat there for weeks, just waiting for the inspector to come by before work could be continued. Then when something wasn't right, the whole process would start all over again, and weeks would pass before the inspector would come out again. I dropped the subject. That was over a month ago.
The second time she asked if we had found a house, and that's always how it goes, the question is never positive or supportive, it's always, "So, have you found a house yet?" I told her we found a custom home builder in the area that we liked, but I was afraid the spec house was too small. Her response was, "Oh yea, you need a bigger house than that. You'll be miserable." Now maybe that was her trying to be supportive, but it didn't come across that way.
Then yesterday, one of the women at the baptism luncheon asked when the builders would start breaking ground. With my realtor/friend standing right there, I responded that I thought it took about four weeks to get the paperwork/permits lined up once we signed off on everything and groundbreaking begun. Then the house was supposed to be done 120 days from the time ground breaking started. The husband half of the "friends", piped up about how we have to be careful because his neighbors lot sat there empty for five weeks, without any activity, because someone didn't pull the right permits. Before I could say a word, our realtor jumped in telling him that we were having a "custom" home built, and it's not at all the same thing. He responded that they had a "..." custom home built, and it took almost a year for their house to be built. She retorted that we're not dealing with a mass produced home builder in a subdivision. We dealing with a private custom home builder who only builds one, maybe two, houses at a time, and they are on the building site at all times. Those mass produced builders aren't even in their trailers most of the time, etc, etc. She shut him down fast.
Now a huge part of me was grateful that she was there to back us up, because honestly I'm sick and tired of being made to feel that everything we have/do is inferior.
Then another part of me was angry. Why are some people like this? Why can't they just be happy for someone else? Why is everything a threat? A competition? He has stated that he wouldn't work for twice what Vince makes, that's just too little money. We don't drive $70K cars, our kids don't attend private school, we don't go on extravagant vacations every year or so. Why can't we just have this one thing? And why can't they just be happy for us that we've reached an agreement between what will work for Vince, what will work for me, and what will work for our budget. We're not snobby. This is not about "having a house built". We'd be perfectly happy buying a house that was already built, even an older house, as long as it would suit our family. The problem was that we weren't finding that. We lived in a 1972 ranch style house for eight years that was a constant construction zone it needed so much work. Why should we buy something that's not going to work for us, when we can have one built that will? And if it does end up taking nine months, at least we'll have what we want at the end of those nine months. We're not going to buy something now, just to buy something now. Not even in this market. These are our "friends"?
Then a part of me is sad. Obviously we wouldn't have wasted five years with these people if they truly were terrible people. They're not terrible people. They're usually pleasant to be around, very social, nice to our kids. And because of them, we've made friends with couples here in Texas that we've met through them.
Vince keeps telling me to stop trying to understand crazy. You just can't understand crazy.

2007 Year End Wrap Up

2007-12-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

I know my blog has been more about food than anything else lately, but I swear, if I keep it up I won't have to cook in 2008. My fridge is packed. It is actually making a sort of grunting groaning noise, I think it is in protest of being over packed. It's full with leftover catfish soup from Christmas Eve (which I'm now throwing out - old fish scares me), prime rib from Christmas, Chicken Satay, Wontons, Springrolls and Silver Wrapped Chicken from tonight, plus there is the ham and collard greens for tomorrow. It's a small miracle I'm not pushing 200 lbs. at this point. Oh, and there's all the leftover Christmas cookies still haunting me.

Francesca is now walking, actually she has been since December 14th. At fifteen months she's our latest walker, but she's also our most reserved, almost timid child, so I guess we should not be surprised. Today she tripped and landed smack on the corner of the bathroom cabinet. I should have taken a picture but I was too busy helping Vince get some ibuprofen in her. She's got a nice blue and purple rhino horn sticking out of her forehead. Other than that, she's been doing fine.This picture was taken right when she first starting walking, not since her deforming accident.

I tried to get a cute picture of the kids in front of the tree, but Francesca wouldn't cooperate. So I told her she was getting a lump of coal in her stocking.

Christmas morning we did our usual thing and made the kids get dressed and go to Mass first, because we're mean like that. Then we came home, got back into our PJ's, then opened gifts. Our Christmas was nice, but it's just not the same being away from my family, namely my mom and grandma. But that's what I get for moving half way across the country. I had a little better luck with the photo in front of the tree thing, I'm sure mostly because Vince was there to help.

Actually, I think Vince took this picture, I was still getting ready for Mass. Francesca looks like she's eyeing the packages and just biding her time. Everyone looked so nice though, and Annamaria wants to wear her Christmas dress everyday now. We've finally found something to distract her from that freaking Tinkerbell costume that she's outgrown but insists on wearing . . . every. . . single. . . day!

So it's 10:30pm on New Year's Eve. The kids are asleep, the house is quiet, and my stomach is full from our Asian Finger Food Feast. Time for PJ's and the couch. Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, and has a great New Year!

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day Six

2007-12-23T18:51:00.001-08:00

All done, and just in time to put a cookie tray together to bring to our Pizza Night/Christmas Party.

Snowballs

Tender, buttery, pecan laden cookies, rolled in powdered sugar. Just don't inhale while taking a bite, or you'll end up choking on the sugar.

Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies

The recipe said to be careful not to overbake the cookies, or they will be too hard. Well, I baked them for the minimum amount of time, eleven minutes, and when you bite into one all the peppermint creme squishes out the other side. Yummy, but messy. I'll try making these again, and just reduce the cooking time.

And the final product . . .

The Christmas Cookie Tray

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day Five

2007-12-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

I felt like a slacker the other day, only getting one batch of cookies finished. So yesterday I was able to get three done, and get back on track. And only one day to go.

Marble Icebox Cookies

These are tender and simple. I think they're what the chubs of cookie dough in the refrigerated section of the grocery store are supposed to be, but just aren't.

Gingerbread Men

Vince loves gingerbread but I've never made it before. He took one bite and said it was the best gingerbread he's ever had. Right on. And they were fun to decorate too.

Snowman Sugar Cookies

Simple and lightly sweetened so it can take the extra sweetness from the frosting. I thought they came out cute, but one batch only turned out sixteen cookies.

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day Four

2007-12-21T19:01:00.001-08:00

Ugh, still sick.

Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints

Soft, fudgy, pretty yummy I think. Again with the not really being able to taste too well. But the kids loved them.

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day Three / Happy Birthday Sophia!

2007-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. Sick and miserable. I feel like that claymation kid in the Kleenex commercial who's nose jumps off his face and hides when he tries to wipe it. And to make matter worse, today is Sophia's 9th birthday. Such a bummer for her.

I was planning on making gingerbread men and snowman shaped sugar cookies for the kids to decorate for a little birthday/Christmas fun, but so far I haven't been up to any baking. Vince went ahead and went to work this morning, he had a project that had to be completed today, or else eight days worth of work would have been for nothing. But luckily he was able to leave as soon as he was done, and got back home by ten or eleven this morning. I'm not even sure what time it was, I was back in bed after getting the babies taken care of this morning. So after a bit more bed time, I dragged my sorry butt out of bed and took Sophia to the mall.

Vince and I were planning on taking her to Roy's, our favorite special occasion restaurant, for her birthday dinner. But she wanted to go to Build-A-Bear Workshop. And since I can't really taste anything anyway, it would have been a waste of great food and a lot of money to go ahead and go to Roy's. And it's her birthday after all, so Build-A-Bear it was. She had a great time, and really took her sweet time on which animal to pick. Much to my discomfort, but she finally chose. She ended up with a kind of Christmas-fairy-kitty. And her name is Christie. Christie the Christmas Kitty. I think it's funny how kids give animals human names.

So I totally slacked on the birthday cake, and just ended up buying her a cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory. But honestly, how could anyone complain about a cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory? I think that fulfills my birthday cake dreams, even if a cheesecake isn't technically a cake. And since cake decorating is not my forte, anything I could have come up with would not look quite so nice.
See, I'm trying to ease my guilt over being a slacker mom on my oldest daughter's birthday.

So we came home, and Sophia got to unveil her gift, a new bicycle. She's out riding it right now, so I think she was pleased. Again, easing the guilt. And not to completely let her down today, I am making her a special dinner that she requested . . . juicy, juicy steak, cheesy potatoes, and sauteed green beans.

To on to the Christmas cookies . . .

Honey Caramel Hazelnut Bars

I think these are good, but again, can't really taste anything, so I may be fooling myself. Vince's favorite nuts are hazelnuts, and he said they're good, so I'll have to take his word on it.

Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Shortbread Bars

These are good. I make them last year when my taste buds were working just fine, so I know these are worth the calories. Actually they're better than just good, they're pretty amazing.
Obviously, photography is not my forte either.

Let's see if I can get myself in the kitchen today, and get back on the cookie track.

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day Two

2007-12-19T06:44:00.003-08:00

A quick post before heading off to the first doctor's appointment of the day.

Ooey Gooey Karo Krispers

Obviously not ooey nor gooey. I set them in the fridge to get the chocolate top to set and ended up leaving them in the fridge overnight. Therefore they are more like hard and brittle Karo Krispers, practially shattered when I tried to cut into them this morning. I'll leave them on the counter to warm up a bit and see what they do. I've never made these before, so the jury is still out.

Nanimo Bars

My favorite! I'm sure these can be made any time of year, but since I'll eat the entire tray myself, I limit these to Christmas time only. And of course I have to make a double batch to be sure I get my share. Of course just before baking for the day, Vince called and said he wanted a batch to bring to his Christmas thing at work on Friday. So since I'm already making a double batch, do I just give him half? Of course not. This calls for triple batch making.

** They're actually very easy to make. Good luck Lena and Greg. ***

Christmas Cookies 2007: Day One

2007-12-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

I've planned to make twelve types of cookies for the twelve days of Christmas, but in only six days. Seeing that we have two different doctors appointments scheduled for tomorrow, and Thursday is Sophia's 9th birthday, it may be a stretch, but I'm going to try to keep in mind that this is suposed to be fun. It would help if the babies would actually go to sleep at nap time, but so far I've had little cooperation.

Actually, yesterday was Day One but I never got around to posting anything.

Pineapple Jam Jewels

These are yummy. Tender and buttery. I have made them before and will definetly make again.

Holiday Wreath Jumbles

I think these are more cute than yummy. Just a plain sugar type cookie with colored powdered frosting decoration. I think the kids will think they're neat, but I'll save my calories for something else.

Today's (Day Two) cookies are still setting up, so I'll have to post those tomorrow.

In house news . . . Vince has decided that my big dream house isn't on a big enough lot, and I've decided that four bedrooms and only one living area isn't a big enough house regardless of the one acre of yard. So we're in the process of working with a couple of custom home builders to see if we can afford to build what we want. We shall see.

A Tale of Two, No Wait, Three Houses

2007-12-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Our first trip out with our real estate agent for some serious house hunting left me disappointed at our options. So the next Saturday, we tried again. And at the end of the day, felt we had a couple of very viable options. This is the problem. I want a house. A nice house. A nice big house, so that when I'm stuck at home with the kids all day, there is enough room for us to get away from each other with out driving each other crazy. Vince wants land. Lots of land. Land lots of land with the starry sky's above. Don't fence him in. Remember Green Acres? Yep, that's us. Our task was not an easy one.

So last Saturday, house #1, we looked at a house that Vince was most interested in. Luckily it reeked of dog urine, and was so small even Vince couldn't deny it. It was located on a street called Hardback Court. All I had to do was call it Brokeback Court, and he said he couldn't live there now. He's just too easy sometimes.

On to house #2. Another smaller house on an acre of land, but new and with a swimming pool, so I was ready to give it a look. Nope, too small, no trees, and a questionable area.

On to house #3. Basically I forced Vince into looking at this house. He had no interest, but we were in the area, it was six minutes away from house #2, so how could he say no? Still a smaller house than I wanted, listed at 2,636 sq. ft., but new and on 1 1/2 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac, and heavily wooded. It was beautiful. Not laid out like I'd like, smaller than I wanted, but very high end. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, but only one living area and one dining area. Great neighborhood, which will be gated, and all lots are a minimum of an acre. The kids had such a good time running around that property, they were elated. Sophia was running around, her cheeks were all pink and rosy. It was a happy sight. And there were deer tracks. Lot's of them, all over the backyard. And the fact that it was like being on the edge of a forest won Vince over. Oh, that and the enormous 23x30 garage. So the house is smaller than I want, but there is room to add on if we feel the need and the neighborhood can't be beat. That's the Antler Ridge house. You can see that house here.

Then on to house #4. Basically the house of my dreams. 4100 sq. ft. Five bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a living room, a family room, a study, a dining room, a game room, and a media room. There is even an exercise room off the master bath. And the master closet was bigger than some bedrooms I've seen. I'm telling you, the only thing I could find wrong with this house was the fact that it didn't have double ovens. Then there was the yard. The yard was fine. Not huge, but definitely better than what we have now. There is room for the kids to play. No, it's no acre and a half, and it's not wooded, but o-kay. It's only a 9,000 sq. ft. lot, but look at the house! And we couldn't reach out the window and touch our neighbors house, so while the houses were closer than we would like, they weren't ridiculously close. That's the Glenwood house. You can see that house here.

Ah, decisions, decisions. So getting back into the car, Vince asks me "O-kay, if you had to make an offer on a house right now, which one would it be?" I hate it when he does that to me. I'm not a snap decision maker. I don't like being put on the spot. So I thought a couple of minutes, the inner turmoil building. Do I choose what I want? Do I choose what my husband wants? Do I choose what I think would be best for my kids? My kids of course. But what would be better for my kids? A bigger house? Do my kids care what size house they live in? And how did I get so high and mighty that I think I need a 4,100 sq. ft. house? Why can't I get the Glenwood house in the Antler Ridge area? Am I asking too much? Apparently. Do my kids want more room to run and play? Is that what is more important to my children? Running and playing seem pretty important to kids. Do they even know what they want, and would they verbalize it if they could? Ugh! So I said I'd make a low ball offer on the Antler Ridge house and if it was meant to be , it was meant to be. If not, I thought the Glenwood house would be a great second choice. Vince agreed. We had a decision.

So while we're getting our pre-qual stuff worked out, and our agent is doing a little homework on the area for us, I'm thinking more and more about the Antler Ridge house. It really is the kind of neighborhood I wanted, but the house just seems so small. 2,636 sq. ft. The house we're currently in is supposed to be about 2,450 sq. ft. and I swear it has more room. We have four bedrooms, two and a half bedrooms. A family room, a game room, and a room at the front of the house that is supposed to be a formal dining but we use it as our homeschooling room. I just couldn't figure out where all that extra square footage was supposed to be. So our agent e-mailed the listing agent about the square footage, and he got kind of snippy.

My inner turmoil still going on. I wanted to go look at the Antler Ridge house and the property again, so Sunday after Mass we made another trek out there. It's no short trip, it's currently 1 1/2 hours from where we live now, but only 30 minutes from where Vince works. So his commute will improve greatly.

The property was still great, but the house was still small. We're talking back and forth on how we could extend this wall, or build out over the garage, etc, etc. So as we're leaving we decide to drive around the neighborhood, because there are still a lot of lots of land for sale. Just before it got dark, we came across a house that was still being built. Pretty much done, but not quite. Vince asked if I wanted to see it inside, but I thought it must be locked, how could we get in it. Well there wasn't even a lock on the front door yet. So we went in, and it was a lot like the Antler Ridge house, but a little bigger. 2,814 sq. ft. Laid out a little better. And it had a formal dining, and a study, but still only one living area. It's only on a one acre lot, but still, one acre. And I think the house won't feel so cramped. That's the Deer Chase house. No link for this house, it's not even on the market yet. So now we have a meeting with the builders on Sunday to see if we could afford to build what I want on a lot that Vince wants. Or should we just go with what is already built, and we'll make it work for us.

So wish us luck, keep us in your prayers, do whatever it is you do to send someone good vibes. I just want to make the right decision, whatever that decision may be.

But I do have to say, with all the inner turmoil and complaining I'm doing, I'm feeling like I'm not liking myself very much right now. Nothing has been stolen, Vince is employed and just got a raise, and everyone is healthy. We're just trying to buy a house. Which is what we've been waiting to do for a year now. I need to focus on being grateful, not conflicted. So shut up already!

The Great House Dilemma

2007-11-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Vince and I have been looking at houses on-line for about a year now. We've been driving around checking out areas on our own for a good nine months. And for the past couple of months we've been out with a realtor looking at houses. So here's our dilemma. Vince wants land, I want a nice house that is big enough for all six of us, and apparently we can't get both. Oh, the banks may loan us enough money for both, but we want to keep our mortgage payment from being scary.
Our choices seem to fall into three categories. Our first is land, say three to five acres, with a big house that needs work. Say about $50K worth of work to make it what I would want to live in. The second being an acre of land, with a new or fairly new house, but much (much) smaller than what we want. The third being a new or fairly new, big house in a subdivision, on a lot no bigger than a quarter-acre. Actually if the lot was a quarter acre, it would be considered big. But if we could find a house with a yard big enough for the kids to play, then so be it.

So I would like some input.

We're willing to purchase with a five-year plan in mind. Since the market is in our favor, we could purchase something now that may not be all we want, with the idea of seeing where we are in five-years, then maybe we'll be able to get what we want. So we need to keep resale value in mind. Do we purchase . . .

1. The big new house with no land.
I get the house I want, and the kids get neighbors to play with, but Vince feels like a caged up animal.

2. The small but nice house on one acre.
I'm not too sure about this option since Vince really wants more than just one acre, and then I'm also stuck with a house that really isn't enough room for us.

Or forgetting the five-year plan . . .
3. The older house on the land that Vince wants and just fix it up.
If we could talk the price way down, would it be worth it?

Ah, decisions, decisions. Any real estate experts out there? Seriously, I need help.

Why, Hello There

2007-11-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I did not perish in the California wildfires (although not to be completely egocentric, but I must say those fires really screwed up my trip, more on that later), nor otherwise cease to exist. We are back in Texas, safe and sound, and have been for at least three weeks now. I've completely lost track of time. And I'm finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. Hence the lack of posting. And lack of clean laundry. We're in the midst of finding a house to buy. My husband wants land, and I want a nice house. Apparently a nicer house than we can afford. At least on more than an acre anyway. So it's all consuming. Like from 6:30 am until 10:30 am just this morning alone on the inter net kind of all consuming. And not starting Sophia's school work until after 10:30 am this morning all consuming. Although I didn't hear any complaints from her. And not folding the three baskets of clean laundry all consuming. You'd think with all that time on the computer I'd at least get some blogging done. We'll here's my attempt. And I'll throw in a picture of Francesca to boot.

Oh heck, and why not throw in the other three while I'm at it?

**Pictures courtesy of Grandma DeeDee**