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!

Rosy Applesauce

It feels weird to say that in my "old life", I was a teacher, because we always get a summer break.  Surely nothing has changed just yet.  It will really set in in August I'm sure.  I already promised C that when we got Back to School shopping with Miss M, we can each pick out something too.  :)  hehe  Not that that is what I'll miss most about teaching, but just sayin', I love me some office supplies.

One thing I that is not high on my Things I'll Miss About Teaching list is school lunch.  Granted, I found some things I loved in the cafeteria (did I mention that I was a lunchroom supervisor for most of my teaching stint in KS?), but overall, not the highlight of my day for sure.  So one of those loves was "Rosy Applesauce".  Sounds weird right?  Just reddish applesauce... why would I be writing a post about reddish applesauce?  I came across this recipe on pinterest the other day, and well, chalk it up to another win for Team Mommy!  So, basically, you just add jello to applesauce.  And that is it!!  My kids gobbled it up, and with unsweetened applesauce and sugar free jello, I happily scooped more on their plate!