Chalking it up to a Good Morning.

+ Got a shower this morning
+ Brushed my teeth this morning {neither of which happened yesterday morning...}
- C locked himself out of his room.  Just to be a stinker.  With all of his clothes AND the library books/movies that were due today.
+ I figured out how to unlock the door.  By myself... and youtube...
+ Made blueberry banana bread.  And it is yummy. This MAY turn out to be a - ...
-/+ L was only happy when being held this morning (which made for lots of baby snuggles), but did sleep through library story time and is still currently sleeping in his carseat carrier (you decide if this is a + or - !)

Apple Chips... made easier...

AJ & LJ's (bro- and sis-in-law) neighbors have a crazy producing apple tree.  One day they sent niecey LJ over to ask if they could pick some apples.  The neighbors said they wanted to pick first and then they would let them have at it.  The neighbors got all they wanted and then sent us crazy Js over.  I just can't even tell you how many apples were picked but it was a ton.  Our kids got in on the action and had a grand time.  AJ & LJ shared some apples with us, and kept a bunch for themselves, making things like apple butter, applesauce and apple chips.  JJ didn't want to do any of those things and just wanted to eat them.  I let him have at them for a while, but it didn't seem like they would get eaten fast enough and I didn't want them to go to waste, so yesterday I decided I was making apple chips, which, in my opinion was the easiest option!  :)

I could NOT find our mandolin slicer, so I resorted to one of our other "slicing" products.  Kinda sad that we have multiple options, but if you know anything about JJ, you probably know that he is a gadget kind of guy.  And he loves to cook.  Ok, two things about him!  But put them together and we have A LOT of random kitchen gadgets.

I got out our apple peeler-corer-slicer.  After wrangling it a bit, CJ and I figured out how to make it peel the apples, but we could not figure out how to make it core the things or slice them for that matter.  It took me a looong time (well a lot longer than it should have) to put them through the peeler, then core them, and then slice them by hand.  THEN put them in a lemon water bath.  And THEN put them in the dehydrator.  TOO much input what seemed like not "enough" output.

I told JJ all about this last night when he was home.  He looked at me incredulously.  He took one look at the peeler-corer-slicer thingy, flipped up a little knobby, and even moved the handle back into position with another flip of another lever (rather than hand crank it as CJ & I had done all morning)...  UGH.  We could've saved SO MUCH TIME!

Today in about 10 minutes I had a second batch of apples ready to go.  So.  Should I count this as a fail?  No.  I am not.  I learned something new and will be much more willing to tackle those apples next time!  

Baby #3 - the Birth Story! Part 2 - The REST of the story

At about 4:15 I was getting crazy contractions.  I had a lot of trouble breathing through them (huh... maybe I should've taken a baby class after all) and enlisted JJ for help.  We started timing them and they were anywhere from 5-7 minutes apart.  I struggled walking, breathing, talking.  Yup.  I finally realized what real labor felt like!  At this point, I think I started punching JJ, too.  He just seemed so lax about it.  I was like I'm over here struggling and he's like, well... so.... yeah... I think that was about 6 minutes.  Huh.  Ok... PUNCH.  PUNCH.  PUNCH.  At about 5:30 am we woke up my Mom and headed to the hospital.  I struggled breathing through several contractions on the way. JJ dropped me off at a door close to the elevator we needed and said to go sit in the little waiting area they had.  He parked the car and came as fast as he could, but in the meantime, I was hit by two very strong contractions.

I ended up doubled over a fire hydrant breathing one out.  A gentleman doing deliveries at the hospital came running over asking how he could help.  I was able to communicate that I was having a contraction and that my husband was just parking the car.  A gal who was with him ran and got me a wheelchair and got me to the little lobby.  She was NOT very happy that I was alone, but the guy with her said my husband was on his way from parking the car.  There was another guy waiting in the lobby and the delivery gal told him, "If anything happens, just get this lady up to the 4th floor!"  His eyes got about as huge as saucers!  It was kind of funny.  I assured him my husband would be there any second!  And then I did see JJ on his way.

Back up the the 4th floor we went and we saw the same nurse.  She took one look at me and admitted me.  Pronto.  I remember thinking, "See!  I really am in labor!  I wasn't lying!"  Another nurse and a nurse following her took over and got me all hooked up.  Baby's heartrate looked great.  Contractions were definitely coming.  They checked me and I was a 7.  Progress!!!!!  But, baby hadn't dropped quite yet, so I think I was a +2 (or -2... whichever one means baby is NOT there yet).  JJ continued to help me breathe and the head nurse with me helped too.  I have found that I NEED encouragement during those times.  Having her say, "You can do this.  Breathe in through your nose.  Out through your mouth.  You're doing it.  Good job!"  was VITAL to my successful delivery.  I remember asking her to do it, too!  "Would you please keep saying those things to me?!!" I yelled one time.

I said that I did INDEED want an epidural.  By the time the anesthesiologist was able to get all hooked up, I was at a 9, so probably I could've just sucked it up and gone without it, but I think it just made things so much more peaceful at the end.  I had two contractions while the Dr. put in my epidural and they were amazed at how stoic I was.  The nurse was like, "She was NOT kidding.  She WANTED that epidural!!"  :)  Yup.  So then it was pretty much just smooth sailing.  Phew.  A new shift came on at 7, so they rechecked me - and there again was a nurse and someone following the nurse.  They said they like people who are learning to try to judge dilation, effacement and what stage the baby is at when ladies have epidurals.  Learn away my friends.  I couldn't feel it!  :)  When baby had dropped (maybe about 8:15 am), they had me do a few practice pushes and same as with CEJ, they were like, "STOP!!  We need to call the doctor."  I told them I was feeling a little light headed so they took my blood pressure.  It was 88/48 (I generally have low blood pressure, but that was quite low even for me).  They ran a bag of saline through and in the meantime the doctor showed up.

We waited for a contraction to push, but then he said, "You know what?  The baby is RIGHT there.  Why don't you just push?"  I pushed and out came the baby at 8:40 am!!  JJ took a peek and said, "Baby has tons of hair!  What do you think??  Boy or girl?!"  The hair threw me off because MVJ had so much hair, but I still thought it was a boy.  Ta-da!  Baby BOY made his arrival and he really is a sweet mixture of M & C.  Out at 8:40 and nursing by 9 am.  Our first visitors at about 9:30 because JJ's parents were still in town, but ready to leave for home.  Good thing they waited another day!  :)  We were able to have so many visitors this time since we are close to family.  It was really fun and really special.  The kids did awesome meeting Mr. LWJ and have been excited, helpful, and on Cloud 9 since meeting him.  We are so blessed! 

Baby #3 - The Birth Story! Part 1 - the build up

I just have to write about my deliveries.  I always think I'll remember all the details... and of course there are some that I never forget... but some that I do.  I love looking back and reading about each baby's special day.

This particular story begins on Thursday, October 9th.  At my doctor's appointment, my doctor said I was a "loose 3 cm dilated" and fully effaced.  At 37 weeks, I was 1 1/2 cm and 60%.  Then at 38, I was 3 cm and 70%.  So there was clear progression every week.  My doctor said she could strip my membranes if I wanted.  I wanted.  I mean, not that it is awesome to go through with a membrane stripping, but I was READY to meet this kiddo!  Plus, JJ has an easier rotation (schedule wise) this month, so the sooner this baby came, the more Daddy help was available for longer!  See, makes sense, right?  My doctor said that it doesn't work every time, but IF it works, delivery usually occurs within 72 hours.  I put my family on standby!  JJ happened to leave his cellphone at home so I couldn't contact him to just casually tell him.  (AJ, JJ's brother, DID give me the info on how to go about contacting JJ if I REALLY REALLY needed to!)  I figured with my "luck", Thursday would be the day since I couldn't get ahold of JJ as easily.  (When he got home for the day, he said I didn't have to reprimand him because he had heard about it ALL day from nurses and colleagues who couldn't believe he had forgotten his cell phone THAT day!)

Ok, so I started feeling quite crampy throughout the morning, which I read was a normal thing with getting membranes stripped (yes I read up on it afterwards...)  :).  Also, I should mention that JJ's parents were in town because his Dad had hip surgery Monday, October 6th.  He was released from the hospital on Wednesday, but he encouraged him to stay a little while longer before getting on the road for home.  Our house is one level, so his parents were staying at our house.  JJ was at work.  AJ was with his parents as my FIL CJ recovered.  My SIL LJ had my son CJ [dang, all these initials are getting tricky!] while I had my doctor appointment and we met up at CJ's gymnastics.  I continued to have more and more cramps and some contractions as well.  My Mom said she had her bags packed.  :)

Alright, so with all of the above going on, AJ and LJ brought up having JJ's parents stay at a hotel.  The boys (AJ and JJ at this point) helped settle them in and we ended up getting pizza and the kiddos had an absolute blast swimming in the hotel pool.  So now, AJ is staying at the hotel to help his parents if needed.  LJ is home with her kiddos (and, thankfully, her Dad DJM came to town for Grandparents Day at our kiddos' school).  JJ and I are hanging out that evening.  I start having contractions.  I had a hard time kind of figuring stuff out because while it was my 3rd pregnancy, it was my only "normal" going into labor situation.  We had NO idea what was going on with MVJ.  We induced with CEJ.  I started timing and it seemed like there was about 2 minutes between contractions, but they weren't intense.  So I was confused.  There were SOME intense ones, but for the most part, I was still busy around the apartment making sure M was set for school the next day, throwing in a load of laundry, cleaning up from the swimming, etc.  I ended up calling the Birth Center at about 9:45 pm.  They suggested taking a bath, walking around, seeing if things slowed down or got more intense.  They said to call back in about an hour, but assured me that I could come in whenever I felt like I needed to.

I called LJ at around 10 pm just because I wanted her to have a chance to prepare if she wanted to.  She started prepping lunch for her kiddos and informing her Dad that he was going to get all 3 kids up and ready for school the next morning!  :)  I owe DJ big time!  :)  I called my parents and they thought initially that they would get up and come right away in the morning.  Then they called later and said they were on their way!  I gave them LJ's number and then LJ came over.  We chatted for a while and she suggested timing the contractions again (by they way at this point, JJ was attempting to get some rest to prep for his day ahead!).  The contractions were again about 2 minutes apart, but not very intense - or certainly not regular with intensity - some were more intense, but definitely not every one.  She suggested we head in to the hospital.

We got JJ up and headed in.  I walked in and I could tell the nurses were doubtful.  They hooked me up in a "triage" room.  They got baby on the heart monitor and the heartbeat was great.  There were some contractions here and there, but again, they were not very "intense" on the monitor.  The nurse checked me and I had NOT progressed from that morning.  I was super bummed out.  She said that happens with stripped membranes - the cramping feels like you are progressing, but you might not be.  I seriously, seriously felt so let down.  I felt guilty for calling my parents and LJ.  I felt like I didn't even know my own body and didn't know anything about real labor.  I thought JJ had a big "I told you so" coming (he was really very great about it though and assured me that no one was mad at or disappointed with me).  They continued monitoring me and I believe in about 30-45 minutes checked me again.  No progression so they sent us home.  Oh, worst story ever, right?  That's the one thing you don't want to happen -- going to the hospital and getting sent home.  Yuck.

We ended up getting to our place the same time my parents did!  We all walked into our apartment to a VERY surprised LJ.  (I had texted her, but she was sound asleep - which I was very glad about.)  She went home (so thankfully DJ wasn't completely on his own in the morning!) and we all headed to bed. 
 

Book List: Classics

I am happy to report that we had read several of the classics on our Kindergarten Book List.  Of course, we had read Madeline and Curious George.  Who hasn't?  And for the record, they are both favorites. 

We also own Swimmy, which is a cute story with beautiful pictures about a fish who problem solves so that he doesn't get eaten by a bigger fish! 

The kids enjoyed Make Way for Ducklings, which is such a sweet classic written in 1941 and The Story of Ferdinand, which was completely new to us.  This classic from 1936 is about a bull who is a sweet, mild fellow.  The bull fighter crew comes to pick a bull for a big festival and gentle Ferdinand happens to sit on a bee and gets stung.  He becomes the roughest, toughest bull in the herd and gets picked immediately.  Will he perform in the arena?  You'll have to read it to find out.  :)

We happened to check out Joseph Had a Little Overcoat as a book with CD and were so glad we did.  The author reads the story, of course, but then also sings it as a song in both English and Yiddish.  This is a great story, but I would say I prefer the same folktale retold as Something from Nothing.   

Pecan Honey Chicken

I was at a total loss for meal ideas last week.  I literally had no go to meals that sounded amazing to me besides our weekly mac and cheese tradition (have I mentioned I can be worse than the kids in the food variety department?).  Usually in this case, I go to my Pinterest boards or the binder of recipes I made, but I decided instead to dust off my Grandma's (Dad's Mom) family's cookbook.  This cookbook was put together probably ten or so years ago and has some great recipes from some great people!  I dove in and found this little gem that came together so well and was very yummy - JJ said the chicken was a bit dry (always my downfall -- I am crazy weird about making so sure chicken is cooked that I USUALLY overcook it.) but otherwise he loved it.  C of course ate a helping and a half and M tried it and didn't hate it.  Win-win-win!

From my family to yours - enjoy this Pecan Honey Chicken!  *Note- I halved the recipe and we had just enough leftovers for one lunch portion.  I served it with rice.

6 skinned chicken breasts                        1 c flour
1/2 c butter                                               1 tsp baking powder
1 egg                                                        2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk                                                 2 tsp sesame seeds
Honey                                                      2 TBSP chopped pecans


Melt butter in baking dish.  Mix egg and milk for dipping.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Dip chicken in milk and egg.  Coat with flour mixture.  Drizzle additional melted butter and honey over chicken pieces in pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Turn chicken; drizzle with honey and bake for 20-30 minutes more. 

Ready (or not) for Baby!

In the last week or so, here are a few things we've accomplished:

• crib put together, including fresh washed bedding
• new to us glider rocker in the room
• closets organized and a bunch of craft stuff donated to M's Kindergarten (yippee!  So glad someone will use it!)
• co-sleeper assembled, sheets for it washed, still trying to decide layout of our room!
• diaper bag put together - including tiny, tiny diapers!
• hospital bag packed -- all except my toothbrush and contact case!
• helpful hints for taking care of our two older children - including things like activity time schedule, bedtime routine, useful addresses, etc. emailed to my Mom & Dad
• backups confirmed for our kiddos in the event of imminent labor!
• house cleaned - including random things like rugs
• an Old Navy shopping spree where I bought exactly three outfits... of both genders!  I did realize that not finding out the sex of the baby was good for me - I would've bought WAY MORE things throughout this pregnancy that we really did not need since we already have a boy and girl.
• read up on labor signs in the What To Expect Book that I actually have never read... third time's a charm?  
• discussed with my doctor what to do/where to go (again, third baby, but different cities/hospitals every time!)

Yup, I think we're "ready".  Bring on baby!

Book List: Humorous Stories

So, awhile ago I shared that we're reading through "100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" from a PLA (Public Library Association) poster.  We have officially finished reading all of the ones at the public library and our personal library.  There are a dozen or so that weren't available, so my Mom has been trying to get them from the library in her city.  Every time she visits or we visit her, she has a few more checked out.  :)

I thought I'd take a few blog posts to write about some of our favorites from the genres to pass on some new (or old) favorites!

Under the category of "Humorous Stories", I thought King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood was kind of weird and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever was just ok.  We have always enjoyed Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type and Diary of a Worm.

We own Little Pea, and the kids think it is hilarious.  The funny twist is that this little pea HAS to eat all of his candy before he can have his most favorite treat, spinach.  And then they live hap-pea-ly ever after. 

Chester was a new one to us that cracked us up about a cat that keeps bugging the author as she tries to write a story about a mouse.  The reader sees the cat interact with the author through red marker and in the end the author gives up and just writes about the cat.

Another book that the kids enjoyed from this genre is The Incredible Book-Eating Boy.  The little main character develops a taste for books - actually eating them.  The crazy thing is that when he eats the books, the information from them goes to his brain and he learns the information from them.  But then he goes a little too far and eats too many too quickly - the information gets all jumbled up.  He decides that just plain reading books is really the way to go, except that every once in a while... and then you see that the last few pages have bites out of them.  :)

I definitely feel that a few funny books were missing from this list - although maybe they just aren't classified as "Kindergarten" books.  What are some of your favorite humorous stories?

¿Hablas Español?

I have found my teaching outlet!!  I volunteered to teach Spanish to M's Kindergarten class for 30 minutes once a week.  It is SO FUN!  I have found a lot of great resources, like this, from Pinterest and have also scoped out our local library for books in Spanish.

So far, the kiddos have:

• practiced simple phrases like "Me llamo" (my name is), "Yo veo..." (I see...), "Buenas tardes" (good afternoon), "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?),  "Muy bien, gracias." (Very well, thank you.), ¿Y tú? (And you?), and "Adios" (good bye).
• sung a Buenas Tardes song (Good Afternoon) to the tune of Frere Jacques
• learned color words
• played "Busca, busca para algo..." (look, look for something... fill in with a color word)
• listened to "How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?" in English and Spanish. 

I think they've enjoyed it.  They are a sweet class and seem excited about everything.  They have jumped on board with the singing and love the Busca, Busca game as well.  One little punky stood up the first day and said, "May I go to el baño before I have un accidente?"  She cracked me up and is a little spitfire!  It's been fun to get to know M's classmates as well.  I can put faces and personalities with the names M mentions when she gets home!

Next up... numbers! 

My learning curve

I knew staying at home would be a change for me.  Obviously.  I think the cleaning and organizing have been fine (I did manage to do that while I worked full time, so it's become easier, really).  I've learned I CAN put together a few decent meals, and have been slowly but surely adding to our list of go-to recipes.  Being a taxi driver is also not something totally new to me, but it has definitely increased.  We bought a new van not too long ago and have already put on just a little less than 2000 miles!  Crazy, crazy! 

I feel like the biggest thing I'm still struggling with is time management, probably especially when it comes to meal prep, but I'm also still learning about time travel in our new town.  For example, M has dance at 5:30 on Mondays.  In my head I know we have to be out the door by 5:15 because we live close to the studio.  The problem is it doesn't naturally occur to me that to get to that point, I need to have food READY by 4:45 so she has time to eat and change.  Another possibility, of course is to have a decent snack and eat afterwards, but that would require even better meal prep because I wouldn't be able to START supper after dance.  So, so many first world problems going on there! 

Also, I think it drives JJ crazy, but I am just a slow cook.  For one thing, it's not like I'm just sitting in the kitchen minding my own business.  I also am reviewing the school day with M, trying to give C feedback on his latest soccer kick spinjitzu spin move kick jump, and probably putting a few dishes away or reloading the dishwasher.  But another, I am almost always reading a recipe (which JJ NEVER does) and let's just say my knife skills are not up to par.  (Have you heard my story of 7 stitches in my fingers?)  My solution to THIS has been to do a little meal prep while C naps in the afternoons.  I try to at least chop the veggies, but sometimes I'll even premeasure ingredients or have pots/pans out and ready to go.  I know.  I am THAT weirdo Type A-er that enjoys that sort of stuff.

So what about you?  What are some tips or tricks you've picked up in the area of time management/meal prep??  Keep 'em coming because I need all the help I can get! 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

The weather last week was CHILLY.  While I was meal planning, I was in the mood for soup.  But, we all know weather is not stable, especially where I live... unless you count winter.  Because then it's just freezing cold for like 5 months.  Anyways, this week has been GORGEOUS.  But, since I bought broccoli and a few other necessary ingredients for broccoli cheese soup, well, I dove right in to make it last night.  It's not a HEAVY soup like chili or gumbo that I absolutely have to have in the winter, so it all worked out in the end.  And C ate like 3 bowls full, so it must've been ok!!  I stole the recipe right from Pinterest, so I'm just going to link it.  Mmm-mmm.  It was awesome and super easy to make! 

Pinterest... FAIL...

Cloud Clay!  "No cook recipe!" they said.  "Fastest and softest clay you will ever make!" they said.

With my busy boy and I at home during the day... actually "at home" is sort of a joke.  We are all around town most of the time!  I am starting to rethink these things I set up for times like 9:30 or 10.  With a drop off time of around 8:00 for Miss M, and a good 20 minute drive home... sometimes going home is not completely worth it.  But, where does one take a 3 year old at 8:30 in the morning?

Anyways, I digress.  One morning, we decided we were doing an activity at home.  I got C on board to make Cloud Clay.  The ingredients and directions could not be simpler.  I almost missed the directions in the post I pinned from Pinterest they were so simple:

You need 2 parts corn starch to 1 part conditioner.  I used 1 cup corn starch and 1/2 cup conditioner.  Please note that the brand you use might require a little MORE or a little LESS depending on how much water is in the conditioner.    When you first start to mix it,  it will appear that it is going to be too dry.  But just keep stirring and before long you will have a soft dough formed.  

 So first of all, I realized that in the move our food coloring completely disappeared.  We must've decided it was not worth the move... or they are in a random storage area.  I would not be surprised by either one.  C was "ok" with making white dough for now and getting coloring later.  We DEFINITELY opted out of glitter.  With Big Sis in the house, enough glitter gets spread everywhere as it is. 

I got out the cornstarch and conditioner (some conditioner I had leftover from a trip to MN when I accidentally bought two things of (really cheap) conditioner instead of one conditioner and one body wash... oops).  And with my helper by my side, we measured out the 1 cup of conditioner and 1/2 cup of corn starch.  Are you with me?  Do you see where I already went wrong?!  I inverted the two ingredients.  There were TWO things to keep track of...  C had great fun playing with the sticky, sticky blob that ensued.  But, we decided to remedy the situation.  We ran to the story and got more cornstarch and food coloring. 

I added 1 1/2 c of corn starch and well, it just never formed.  We even added a cup to start, but that was still sticky so we added the rest of it, and then it was just a weird crumbly mess.  C was ok playing in that awhile too, but we were both bummed we didn't make the amazingly awesome fastest and softest clay EVER. 

Good thing C is quick to forgive and that we have plenty of playdoh on hand to last him awhile!  :)

Friends...

I shared that M has made a bestie (F) in the previous post, and this is just such wonderful news!  We needed school to start so she could start getting to know other kiddos her age.  Church just wasn't cutting it yet either because we were gone a few Sundays, other friends were taking trips, etc. and while she enjoyed her time in Sunday School, she still wasn't really connecting with anyone. 

One time this summer, as we were talking (yet again!) about not being so bossy and clingy with her cousin, who happens to be 5 years older than her - a tricky age span, we talked about how to be a good friend and what might happen if she keeps up this kind of behavior.  She sputtered, "I DO have friends, Mom!  I have a million friends.  And they all live in KANSAS!"  Oh break my heart why don't you?!  Now you and I both know that M has what some might call a flair for dramatics, but there was real hurt in her heart.  I'm so glad that she's both continued to send sweet notes and pictures to her friends in KS, because really, she does have wonderful friends there, BUT also, meet new friends here.

So yes, we have F, who is as cute as a button.  Plus M has started getting to know some girls from Church -- and Sparkies will start up next week (can hardly believe we have a Sparky AND a Cubby this year!).  She has a "best friend" in dance class, too, who apparently wears a black leotard because that is all M wants to wear now too!  And life would not be complete without her play time with C.  They really do get along well (most of the time) and I'm so blessed by that!  

So, we have a Kindergartener...

School started!  Yippee!  This really is happy news for all of us!  I may or may not have teared up bringing her in for her first day, but I assure you (as I assured her the night before in anticipation!) they were happy/proud tears at the beginning of a new chapter.  Our big girl is really growing up!

That first day, and for the next several days, M preferred to have C & I walk her into the school until the kids were dismissed from the cafeteria.  But, soon enough she made a bestie (F) and just yesterday wanted us to just drop her off in the carpool line.  She made this big plan of she would walk to the front doors and give us a thumbs up that she had gotten there.  It was just about the cutest thing ever watching her exaggerated thumbs up to make sure we saw it and knew she was all good.  Today, not even a thumbs up.  C remarked that she was too busy talking to her friends.  The school bus had just gotten there as well and M saw one of her buddies get off the bus.  She said, "Oh hey!  There's B.  She looks cute today!"  The girl talks like she's at least 15, I swear.  Also, every time we pick her up.  Every. single. time.  She is sad because she wants to ride the bus.  I know it must be novel and exciting, but after a few rides, she'd be over that I'm sure of it!  

M is learning all the SOCIAL stuff that comes along with school.  That hidden curriculum stuff that we sped teachers know all about because we have to give "our" kids direct instruction on it.  M's sensitive little heart is showing through.  She feels crushed if a teacher comments that the class lined up too loudly or if she hasn't gotten a reward sticker just yet.  (I know you won't believe this, but she even said the words, "I'll NEVER EVER get a sticker, until my birthday, but then EVERYONE gets a sticker on their birthday.  AND my birthday is a hundred and eighty-two twenty days away!")  Wouldn't you know that just last Friday she came home with not one, not two, but THREE stickers?!  She even shared that when the teacher put a sticker on her folder, she told her teacher "thank you" and her teacher made a big deal about it to the class.  Also, on the flip side, it is apparently the BEST DAY EVER if her teacher tells them they were the best behaved class at Chapel.  :)

Selling MACHINE!

M has her first school fundraiser.  Ever.  We have these handy-dandy coupon books to sell, and thankfully, they do pretty much sell themselves.  Our goal was 10 by Monday because then M gets a milkshake at school on Friday.  It's a big deal folks!  We signed up to sell books at a local business.  Armed with our blue books, borrowed table & chairs (thanks LJ & AJ!), sweet signs and some coloring books to occupy the kiddos, we set up shop.  M is a little seller from way back.  She would ask people as they walked by if they'd like a coupon book, sing Disney songs (to entertain people, Mom), and just generally entertain the crowds.  At the end of about a half hour, we had sold zip, zilch, nada.  Then we sold 4 and M felt on top of the world.  In fact, she wanted to stay on past our hour.  We didn't know if anyone was coming after us, so we just stayed a little longer, and when the next family did show up, M started pouting.  We packed up and headed home.  I told M that if we ate our supper, I would let her try to sell some in our neighborhood.  That evening I think we sold 4 more with the promise of a few more and several people weren't home (it was a Friday evening after all).  One sweet lady said the book is too big for her - she doesn't eat out much, but M was just too beautiful so she took one.  One lady couldn't refuse C jumping up and down telling her what they were and how much they cost.  Another group of college girls said no at first, but then chased us down and said they'd decided to split one book among them.  My parents said they'd like to buy one, we plan on buying one, and JJ sold two more at work today.  Woot woot!  Milkshake HERE WE COME.  I mean.  For M.  :)

Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken

I have been CRAVING some Green Mill lately.  Spinach Dip and Coconut Chicken Fingers to be exact.  When I stumbled upon this recipe from my SIL's magazine stash, I knew I had to give it a go.  Almost the simplest dish you could ever throw together.  And side bonus?  When I FORCED M to try it, she closed her eyes in pure delight and asked for more.  Yup.  This is definitely being added to our recipe "list!"

Slow-Cooked Coconut Chicken
From: Taste of Home

 Ingredients:
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t ground cloves
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts! - about 1 1/2 lbs)
6 T flaked coconut, toasted
Minced fresh cilantro (oops!  I knew I forgot something!  Next time!!)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.  Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker.  Pour coconut milk mixture over top.  Cook, covered, on low 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender (JJ said I overcooked ours... but it accidentally went a little longer than 5 hours!).  Serve with coconut and cilantro.  Yield: 6 servings

HAP Journey #8

We thought this was it.  The end of the line.  Two more to check off our list - one at Bonanzaville and one at NDSU.  Done and done.  Or so we thought.

First of all, after a second attempt at Bonanzaville (first one was before they opened, oops), the gal at the museum said the only buffalo they had was a stuffed one... weird.  Pinterest said this should be there:
































We did make it to NDSU for this bugger:

 It was cool because there was wind energy depicted on one side and fire on the other.

THEN!  Then, we got a crazy tip!  Our cousins were driving by an art museum (the same art museum that is home to the Gogh buffalo - yeah, the one that we had just visited!) and realized that the baby buffalo was at the back of the museum!!  The kids had been WAITING to find the baby, so we had to add it to our list. 

We found the baby!!

Speaking of tips... we have since gotten tips of TWO other buffalo!  Soon.  Soon we will be able to complete this adventure!

HAP Journey #7

We tried really hard to complete our buffalo hunt before school started.  About a week before, we practiced getting up and out of bed.  So where could we go after we did get out of bed??  How about a massive hunt?!  We even met up with our cousins for a fun geocaching adventure.  Then the genders split up - girls to head downtown for some yummy Teaberry drinks and boys to a new donut shop!  What could be better?  Well, how about throw in a few downtown buffalo and you've got yourself a date!

Despite a little road construction, we located this interesting fellow - thankfully on the outside of a business since we were there pretty early!

We've passed this guy (Nights in the Valley) lots of times downtown but never actually took our pic with him.  He is definitely worse for the wear... paint chipping and such, but a pretty fellow nonetheless.

We went on a fun adventure walk to find this guy, Diversity.

Check out the texture on this dude.

This is another buffalo we've seen a hundred times, or more.  He is one that started our adventure--knowing there must be several more "out there." 

It took me awhile to figure out the name "Tag You're It."  Duh.  Tagging... graffiti.  When we located the business this buffalo is located in, we stopped in at the front desk and told them our spiel of locating the painted buffalo.  The sweet, young receptionist started to give us directions to the one on Main St. (see above).  See - everyone has seen that one!  It cracked us up - how did she think we ended up at this business looking for a buffalo on Main?!  But, thankfully a coworker pointed us to a different entrance and viola, we found him!

HAP Journey #6

This journey started when we were chatting with an office worker.  She got excited about our adventure and told us she knew where a buffalo was, but didn't want to ruin our adventure.  I assured her that we were open to ALL leads on these guys!  So the first buffalo here is a "bonus" buffalo, not 

from our original list!  He was kind of stuck back in a corner, but was a great find nonetheless!

 

The kids have started to wane a little in their enthusiasm for taking pics WITH the buffalo.  :)

Next up was a buffalo I was excited to find.  It's name, Gogh-Bison-Go! was intriguing, especially since it is located outside of an art museum.  This guy was very interesting.  All sides had a different look - and the head of the buffalo was made to look JUST like Van Gogh --- complete with a bandaged bloody ear and everything... which made for quite the conversation with my kiddos...

Just down the street we found this buffalo in another mall.  A mall I don't particularly prefer to visit again.  This poor guy was looking quite worse for the wear.  I bet he was beautiful with all his tiling, but now several of the tiles were off.  M made sure to check his ears.  :)  C is interested in checking the buffaloes' stamps on their left hind legs.  All (but one that we've seen) have a raised buffalo head on their rumps.

 

Preggo Dreams

I've been known to have some crazy dreams while not pregnant, but they get a little weirder when I am.  Here are a few from the past few months:

*I dreamed that I had a baby girl and was absolutely utterly shocked - I am so convinced this little bean is a boy!

*Then a few nights later, I dreamed we had a redheaded boy!  This was interesting because we have NO redheads anywhere that I am aware of on our family tree.  It was also kinda funny because JJ felt we had to throw out all of our boy names and go for a Celtic one.

*I had a nightmare that an eccentric billionaire kidnapped my children.  JJ and I were besides ourselves and he called a contact he had in the news (? not sure exactly why we didn't go to the police first...!).  The billionaire had sent the news team a list of demands before our babies would be released.  We had recently purchased a house, and the billionaire felt that our house was not "green" enough and the demands were all about things like fuel efficiency (yeah... in our house...).  Once we got the demands and started working on the list, the billionaire texted me pictures of the kids.  They were riding on the carnival rides he had at his estate.  He noted that they were well cared for, but they missed their Mommy.  Gut wrenching.  :(  We were able to get them back, but I can tell you that I didn't sleep the rest of the night when I woke up from this one!

*Last night I had another scary one when C-man took off in front of me when we were at the dentist.  In New York City, where we lived.  The dentist was in a highrise tower, and C jumped on the elevator.  I frantically pushed the button to return the elevator to our floor and yelled for him to STAY on the elevator!!  It was so hard because I had no control.  I have always taught my kids to STAY on the elevator and Mommy would come to them, but could I trust him to stay on?  Could I trust others to keep him on there??!  This was one of those dreams where I get to a situation and then my dreams become sort of a "choose your own adventure" where I have a series of changing the ending of the dream.  Does this ever happen to you?  Often I am starting to wake up by the end and force myself to make it have a happy ending so I can wake up peaceful, because yikes, my mind likes to think of the scariest outcome possible.  :(  No me likey.    

HAP Journey #5

Glowing from our "win" the previous day, we set off on another buffalo hunt.  We went to another familiar buffalo - one we have already seen, just not taken a picture with.  This one was tough to get the kids on board with because they really, really, really just wanted to visit the home of this buffalo.  That's right.  This buffalo is at our local zoo!  :)  Do you see why it's a favorite of the kids'?  His name is even Tigalo. 

Next I realized that another buffalo was on our way to the errand we needed to run for the day.  Yay!  This fellow was located in the Blue Cross Blue Shield building.  We walked in and an irate older gentleman was all out arguing with the receptionist.  It was quite a scene and really I felt bad for both parties because clearly the old guy was feeling frustrated and the receptionist was clearly the messenger.  We sort of walked around the scene whistling as we skeedadled over to"Home on the Range."  Never a dull moment with our buffalo searches! 

 

HAP Journey #4

After an especially fun park play we decided to do a mini "buffalo hunt."  We stopped at Pracs where I thought there might be two buffalo.  We kept our eyes out for an outside display, but seeing none, we parked and headed into the building.  When we got to the door, we realized we had hit the mother lode.  Not one, not two, but FOUR buffalo were in the lobby.  There was only one small problem.  All the doors were locked.  :(  A guy coming in from a break let us in after we told him our reason for being there.  He seemed to get excited right along with us - and shared that he knew a guy who had one in his backyard! Well, it seems like we probably won't be finding every last buffalo if people have them in their yards and pastures, but we will certainly do our best!  Here are the four beauties along with their name plaques: 

The lobby!

I texted JJ saying we had a successful hunt.  The kids have gotten so into this project; it is fun get caught their enthusiasm with it.  Since we had such success with our Pracs stop, we decided to check out the buffalo at Microsoft.  We actually tried to find this bugger one other time with cousin A.  On the list I was given, this guy was listed with a wrong address - it said it was at Microsoft, but the address given was to a person's house.  Now that we knew we just had to search for Microsoft, we drove right up to "Mashkode-Pijiki."  He is interesting because he has no paint on him, just a bunch of holes.  Plus wiring... and he's attached to a solar panel.  Does he light up?  Does he power something?  We don't know, but he's an interesting addition to the buffalo collection!
 

HAP Journey #3

 We drive by this little lady often.  In fact, she was the inspiration for getting this whole adventure started because M got all excited about the "Angel" buffalo she saw on our drives here and there.  Upon closer inspection, M is even MORE excited about her because she has jewels all over her - it looks like she has lost several, but she still has several around her face and hooves.  Her name?  Ms. B... Flying Diva (of course!).  We were able to stop and see her as a family on our way home from Church last Sunday.

On an errand outing later that day, we stopped by the Convention & Visitors Bureau - a place we have already been so that we could get a picture with THE woodchipper - to get a picture with Aunie.  M & C loved this colorful buffie and it was neat to check out the Celebrity Walk of Fame - apparently real actual famous people have visited our humble state.  (and just a side note: check out that belly!  TWO more months people.  two more months...)

HAP Journey #2

Buffalo Path- the Gathering can be found right in the mall!  Also of interest with this particular guy is a picture of 40 of the buffalo together in one display.  40!  16 is apparently just the tip of the iceberg!  We were excited to have Daddy join us on this particular journey.  Yay for days off!  :)

I don't want to spoil it by posting a picture of all of them together... maybe that will be one of our last pics.  I did decide the culmination of this big project for our family will be a visit to the LARGEST buffalo in Jamestown and possibly a glimpse of White Cloud.   

New Month... New Rotation

Every odd numbered month, JJ is at the hospital for rotations and it is the most intense- most intense schedule anyways.  He is thinking inpatient (hospital) is where he is leaning at this point, but it's interesting to get diverse experiences and this month he is outpatient at the VA.  This month (YAY for even numbered August!), we are breathing a sigh of relief as JJ has every single weekend off.  AND I saw a random stat (on facebook no less, so take it for what it is worth) that only every 832 (or some such random number) years August has 5 full weekends.  And THIS August is one of those.  WHAT?!  Holla God!  JJ not only has every weekend off, but he has the maximum number of days off possible.  :)  Not that we're counting or anything... :)  Not only does he have every weekend off, but he has also been home at a decent time.  Translation: supper TOGETHER and help with bedtime. 

HAP Journey #1

 

On Friday, August 1st, we set out on our journey.  We loaded up the van with two of our cousins, L & A and hit the dusty trail in search of our first bison.  Hmmm... Don's Carwash... We drove up to it, expecting to see the bison right away.  No bison in sight.  I got in a car line and a worker approached me wondering which type of carwash I wanted.  I explained our adventure and he said the buffalo was INSIDE the carwash!  But, we could view it at the end of the line.  We parked and headed inside.  Sure enough, there was our first find!  This poor guy was not really kept up - there was trash by his hooves and, as you can maybe tell by the picture, the place was L-O-U-D.  But, nevertheless, we spotted "A Path Through the Prairie".

 Next up, was a fellow named "Kaleidoscope" not too far from Don's Carwash at Cable One.  There were two Cable One offices across the street from each other, so we picked one and hopped out.  There was a line of people, but no buffalo to be seen.  I figured we had chosen the wrong office building, so we jumped back in the van and drove around the building, also hoping to see if it was an outside display.  Nope.  I checked our official guide with the address, and we were in the right place.  Hmmm.  We went back in the building and made our way to the front of the line.  The gal said they no longer had the buffalo.  Bummer.  What does a company do with a large buffalo they no longer want to display?  Too bad, too, because Kaleidoscope looked like a beauty.

#3 (or 2) was in a University of Mary building and as we pulled up L exclaimed that there dentist is in the same building and she HAD in fact SEEN the buffalo in question.  We knew we were on the right track!  We unbuckled and jumped out to find Mr. Dakota Dream, right as we walked in the building.  M declared it was her favorite because of his golden head.  C was just glad it was in a much quieter location! 

Herd About the Prairie

As the kids and I have been exploring our new city, we have been noticing some rather large and interesting canvases.  There are painted bison scattered throughout the city.  As my kids got more and more excited about them, I decided we had to do it.  We had to find them all.  And catalog our journey along the way.  First of all I had to do a little research.  What were the bison all about?  What's the background story and how can we find them all?  I thought for sure there would be a cataloging of all of them.  My SIL advised me to start at the Visitor's Bureau.  I gave them a call and they said that unfortunately they had an incomplete list, but the gal could email me what they had.  It was our start.  Another friend clued me in on a pinterest page dedicated to the herd.  I cross referenced both lists and found that there weren't any new on the pinterest page than what I had from the Visitor's Bureau.  Bummer.  But I jumped into mapquesting the sweet 16 I did have available.  I thought it'd be really fun to do a wham bam big adventure and find them all in one day.  However, just the drive time alone (not including buckling and unbuckling from carseats!) was over 1 1/2 hours.  Not gunna happen.  It was thus concluded that we'd find a few here and there whenever we had time, and whenever we were in a certain area.  That also made it more fun because different friends and family members could join us on our journey. 

A google search gave me a little bit of background information.
*Prairie Public Broadcasting made a documentary on the creation of these guys, called "Herd About the Prairie, A Virtual Art Stampede"
*Area Voices also posted a story from a local blogger about the bison and gave me a good bit of history, like:
     *The Arts Partnership commissioned 75 artists to participate in this (giving them a little money and 90 days to complete the project)
     *The bison debuted in 2006, at the Marathon - they were features along the route.  Then in the fall, they were moved to the Dome, where peopled lined up to see them all together.
     *The bison were then auctioned off and scattered about the prairie - from inside malls to someone's pasture, they are literally everywhere! 

The fun begins!

Tangy Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are a total standard on my meal plan.  I am not a huge meat fan (as evidenced by my doc putting me on iron supplements!), but I love me some sloppy joes.  Alongside potato chips dipped in ketchup and pickles, and I'm good to go.  Yum.  In the past I've used a spice packet, but I had several recipes saved so I decided to try one the other day.  Oh my goodness.  Yum.  Yum.  A thousand times yum.  And easy.  So try this Tangy Sloppy Joe recipe from some old recipe magazine.  :)

Tangy Sloppy  Joes
Prep/Total Time: 30 mins.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 c chopped celery
1/3 c chopped onion
2 T chopped green pepper
1 c ketchup
1/2 c chili sauce
1 T sugar
1 T brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
buns
(and pickles and potato chips with ketchup.  obviously.)

In a large skillet, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Stir in the ketchup, chili sauce, sugars, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.  bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins.  Serve on buns.  6 servings.

(Can be frozen.)

Feeling Lucky

It seems like I am on a lucky winning streak lately.  But, on the other hand, I guess you could say I pad my odds by entering just about every contest in the hopes of saving some money.  I am thrifty, what can I say?  Here are a few examples of "winning" lately:

1. I already posted about Jamberry, but that was such a sweet surprise it just totally made my day/week/month/year.  It has been fun to gift friends and family since I have an abundance of wraps.  Since then several friends have become consultants as well.

2. I joined another "Facebook party" for Thirty-One, and my name was drawn there too!  This time I wasn't the surprise hostess or anything, but I did win free personalization.  Now, to be honest, that isn't a huge deal to me (and I haven't personalized everything I've gotten), but it was fun to be picked again.  I ended up getting a bag I've had my eye on for some time after borrowing my Mom's when JJ & I took a quick trip to Philadelphia in December.

3. On MyPanera card, I got a special deal added for August: free coffee (black or iced) for the whole month of August!   I don't personally drink coffee, but JJ is thrilled.  :)

4. We bought a new van last week, which is a big deal for us.  I was a little overwhelmed because JJ was completely unavailable and had to do all the looking/negotiating by myself.  Oh wait, not by myself, with 2 1/2 kids.  He was pretty proud of the work I did and that made me feel great!  BUT, then I backed into a jeep in the Target parking lot.  BOO.  Why is this in a post about feeling lucky??  My talented hubby, along with his brother, a bat,  and a mallet, bumped the bump out in about 15 minutes.  YESSSSS!  Lucky me!
  
5.  I can't forget about a huge deal I got at Target.  So, last week Target had a deal on diapers where if you bought two boxes, you got a Target giftcard ($10 for Up & Up and $20 for Huggies & Pampers).  I combined that with the offer of order online, but pick up in the store and get $10 off a $40 order.  That could be done four different times.  So, I bought EIGHT boxes of diapers and saved over $100!

I couldn't help but enter a few contests on a favorite "give away" site... I am feeling lucky!  :)
 

Hey I do know some things!

A friend recently asked for some advice about how to find things to do around our town, which led to questions regarding such things as gymnastics, swimming lessons, and even deals.  And you know what?  I had some answers!  Isn't that exciting?!  It was for me!  I realized that I HAD learned some things in the two months we've been here.  I am getting to know my new city and also, I had picked up some tips and tricks along the way. 

I knew about "On the Minds of Moms" and "Area Women" for some pretty decent calendars of events.  I could tell her about our fantastic experience with swimming lessons at MSUM.  Then there were the awesome programs at the Library and Barnes & Noble.  We've signed up for dance and gymnastics.  We visited some really fun splash parks, wading pools, and regular parks.  Of course in conversations such as these, I ALWAYS have to include one of my all time favorite places to go in our town.  Teaberry has the best drinks I have ever had.  Anywhere.  Ever.      

Confessions of a One-Upper

Ugh.  I was that guy.  I was the one upper the other night.  We had some sweet friends over and I found myself topping their stories.  I caught myself a few times and tried to remedy the situation, but it kept happening.  JJ even noticed and we chatted about it later that evening.  I mean, I can be totally honest and say that I am a competitive person.  I think a little competition is healthy, but I know I was on the side of rude.  It was like, Oh honey, you have THE WORST travel story?  Your kid threw up AFTER he was out of his carseat and you were BOTH there to clean up the mess??!  Let me tell YOU a few travel stories...!  I even dragged poor JJ down with me when the gal thought she won with longest shift the next day, but really, who would want to go up against someone in residency?   She kind of had that one coming, right?  :)   I think we did have a pleasant evening, especially when the conversation steered away from me trying to outdo everyone else!  Yikes.   

FRIENDS!!!!!!!

So the kids and I have been getting to know our new city and staying busy, but the one thing I kept coming back to was friends.  Our families have been wonderful and we've gotten to spend a ton of time together, but there's something about friends.  Although, as cousin A told C today in the car, "You're more than my cousin.  You're my friend."  Heart.  Melted. 

I have been introduced to lots of people lately and I started to come to the realization that I was being a little too hard on these "newbies".  Of course they're not going to be just like the relationship I had with my bestie in college (even our relationship has changed over the years - it should've!  We've changed, our families have changed, our locations have changed, our priorities have changed.).  Or the relationships I had with great friends in KS, because it took some time and TLC to cultivate those relationships.  In fairness, I needed to give these newbies a chance and had to actually put some effort into the relationship.  I had to set up some play dates.  Ask some questions.  Answer theirs.  Get to know them. 

So, I am happy to report that in putting myself out there, I have gotten to know some really great people!  And the kids are happy to have some new playmates too!  We all miss our buddies in KS, but it is good to continue the"settling in" process, socially/emotionally as well.

Month one. Check.

JJ just finished up his first month of Residency.  P.T.L.  We knew the first week would be the worst.  The first month would be the hardest.  The first year is the toughest.  We knew that.  But it didn't make getting through them super easy.  JJ worked long, long hours and long, long weeks with little time  off while dealing with some difficult cases.  But he survived.  And we survived.  Actually, I spent a lot of time feeling guilty for all the fun we were having.  We carried on and were busy while he worked and worked away.  He even missed a big wedding and spending time with most of his family.  But, really, he enjoyed his month too.  He got more familiar with the processes (and paperwork) of the hospital.  He wouldn't tell anyone this, but he got a lot of positive feedback from patients, attendings, and colleagues.  I am so proud of my husband! 

Baby #3

This baby seems to be a bit on the crazy side.  I can't decide if he/she is wearing him/herself out now and will just sleep when he/she makes his/her appearance or if this will be his/her temperament... the latter scares me a little bit!  :)  I also feel like my body is gearing up for labor earlier than with the other two.  I am more achy.  More tired.  More moody.  I have had some Braxton-Hicks.  At my 28 week appointment, my doctor checked me and there is no progression, thank goodness!  I also had the pleasure of doing the glucose test - no gestational diabetes.  Phew.  Then I got a shot in my behind since I have a negative blood type.  So, all in all, it was quite a wonderful appointment. 

In talking with my doc, I made some realizations about why this 3rd pregnancy feels different.  First of all is the obvious - my body knows what's going on and has started adjusting earlier each time.  Then there is another obvious - I am chasing after two children.  I kind of forgot about this third reason - I've never been more than a few weeks pregnant in the summer.  7+ months preggers while doing our busy summer things has quite frankly started wearing me out!  I have started noticing and taking more breaks.  My kids don't seem too affected by me sitting more and running after them less.  C is not happy that I won't carry him around anymore, but c'mon dude.  You're three.  It was bound to happen sooner or later! 

I am getting really excited to meet this new little one.  I thought it would KILL me not to know the gender, but it doesn't really seem to have changed much for me... besides maybe curbed some of my spending!  hehee  I *think* we have a boy and girl name picked out and have just finalized plans to get a hand-me-down crib.  Things are falling into place!  Now we wait and grow and get kicked and punched!  :)

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe

We were superexcited to have visitors a little while ago and I wanted an easy to put together meal that would be kiddo friendly.  There were 4 kids almost exactly a year apart from 5-2 years old!  What a grand time was had by all!  I found this little gem tucked away in my recipe folder.  It wasn't M's favorite, but she mowed down the rice and C wanted seconds, thirds and leftovers the next day!  This recipe COULD NOT be easier.  Seriously. 

Ingredients:
32 oz package of precooked, frozen meatballs
13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks (save juice)
1 lg green pepper, diced
1 c brown sugar
2 TBL cornstarch
2/3  c white vinegar
2 TBL soy sauce

Directions:
Place meatballs in crockpot and top with green pepper and drained pineapple chunks.  In a separate bowl, mix reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Pour sauce over meatballs, pineapple and green peppers.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.

I made brown rice for the side.  Yum-o!

Love me some lists!

I think I've written about this before... like a long time ago... but I really love lists.  They make me so happy to get my crazy to do's out of my head and down on paper.  I feel motivated crossing things off and excited to have a starting AND (maybe more importantly) ending point.

I have several lists currently going.  One is my cleaning list.  I got this idea from my sweet SIL, who uses an index card system of daily, monthly, semiannual and annual chores.  I just simplified mine into a 4 week system - I have some chores that repeat weekly, some that show up every other week and some that are once a month.  Again, love crossing things off, seeing what I have left for the week, etc.

Another list is fun things I'd like to do in the evenings, aka Mommy Time.  Some items currently on t that list include: sew M''s jammies, read the next book for Book Club, print off recipes from a stack of fun Taste of Home mags my SIL borrowed me and add them to my new recipe binder that was on my to-do list last week, and finish our family digital scrapbook from last year.  All fun things, but all things I'd like to get done.

So.  The reason for this post?  Several times while visiting the library I've admired this "100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" poster (put out by www.pla.org) while my kids have played in the Wiggle Room.  One time I took a few pictures of the poster along with the website so that I could print my own list.  I wasn't able to find the list online.  Today my kiddos and I were at the library again and I mentioned this to a great librarian I've seen several times.  She said they used to have a similar list available for parents and went in the back to see if they had any more.  She came back and said that apparently people have to buy the list now.  BUT, she was able to find me some left over posters (identical to the one I had oogled over to begin this whole process!).  I got "100 Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" (which sorts the books by genre like Animal Stories, Imagination, and Stories in Rhyme), "100 MORE Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten" and even "75 of the Best Books for Young Children".  Hip-hip-hooray!  I understand that I am a big geek, but I am superexcited about this!  Now I have to decide how we're going to tackle this list.  There are big circles next to each book, so I think I might have the kids put stickers next to the books we read.  Happy Reading!!  

A nighttime poll!

Scenario: Your child wakes up in the middle of the night... wet.  : (  I'm assuming everyone's first step is to get the kiddo clean and put on new jammies. 

I couldn't figure out how to put the poll IN my post, so look right for the poll!

Operation: No More Tears

Transitioning with a move can be hard. I think our kids did an awesome job. They miss their friends and favorite KS hangouts, but they're jumping into life here in the north. The biggest thing we needed to rein in post move was bedtime. It got a little out of control in transit: sleeping on a mattress on the floor until we got beds, later bedtime because Dad was a single Dad for a week and then Mom & Dad were busy unpacking, transitioning to sharing a room in a new house, etc. What came to life was "Operation: No More Tears".

We sat down and had a family meeting to discuss our bedtime routine and how it wasn't working for anyone really. We brought up some ground rules, like kids need to sleep in their own room, Mommy & Daddy need to sleep in their own room, and no kiddos leaving the room post bedtime unless they have to go potty (or poopie, C chimes in).

Here's our bedtime routine compromise, put together by our family:
1. Brush teeth, go potty, get jammies on
2. Each kid picks out one book to read
3. Kids get tucked into bed
4. Lights out, M turns on her book light (she likes it LIGHT, C prefers the dark!)
5. Mommy (usually - or Daddy!) reads the next Bible story from our favorite Jesus Storybook Bible 6. Mommy (or Daddy) reads M's favorite Psalm 23
7. We pray, Mommy sings "It Only Takes a Spark" (sung something like this... not sure what key I sing it in... hehe!) and then Mommy leaves the room while kiddos go to sleep.

It may seem like a cumbersome system, but I personally love it. I enjoy that quiet wind down time with my kiddos. With a few different steps, if Daddy is home, we can sub in and out, too!

What is your routine like?

Clothespin Craft

First of all, Happy 4th! I hope you have some fun family plans! Hubbers is on call for the first time... And on a holiday no less. Prayers to him, but he can do it because God has prepared him each step of the way! My kids are ALL about crafting lately. They love painting especially it seems. I love crafting too so it all works out! As long as we have ample clean up materials, we are good to go! ;). This latest project came from a need to get some clutter off the counters! I "made" three areas with command hooks and ribbon: one for cards (above the sink), one for the kids' artwork (behind the front door) and one for notes and drawings from their friends and relatives (behind their bedroom door). But with what to hang all this important stuff? I came across the perfect solution at Target: a pack of about 50 (smallest they had!) plain wooden Clothespins. Aha! A project within a project- M & C had a blast painting the pins, adding glitter (M) and finally putting foam shapes on them. I think they're wonderful. My counters are thanking them as well!

Jamberry!

One of my sweet RAs (MW) from when I was an RHD in college became a Jamberry Consultant.  Not familiar with Jamberry?  It is a "home party" business I think similar to Thirty-One or Mary Kay, but this one is all about nails.  They have regular nail polish, but they also have fun wraps.

Anyways, MW hosted a "Mystery Hostess Party" via Facebook.  There were fun ways to earn free sheets of Jamberry nail wraps and also one person was drawn to be the "Mystery Hostess".  That person took away all of the hostess gifts earned from the party sales.  WELL... drumroll please... that mystery hostess was ME!  :)  I'm so superduper excited!  The party "totals" were outstanding and I can't believe the amount of stuff I got!

Here are a few of my favs that are on their way!!!

I even have some gifts on order, and MVJ got to pick out a favorite as well!  She chose this:

I think it is WAY too grown up!!  Ugh.... my baby is not a baby anymore!  I suppose if she's going to choose a sophisticated style, choosing one for her nails is the most "ok" with me!  :)

If you're interested in finding out more about these, check out MW's site or let me know and I'll get you in contact with her -- there's a Buy 3 Get 1 Free promotion!  (I think it's always on, but not sure about that part!)  Here's a plug from me, if I (!!) can put them on, anyone can!  And this last time I did four fingers with wraps and one finger with nail polish - my OPI stuff (so not super duper cheap polish!) and the jam wraps totally outlasted the polish.  In fact, I put mine on a week and a half ago (first time by myself!).  Today I trimmed them (and my nails) with just a regular nail trimmer and they look like a fresh application.  Yippee!