My New Favorite Thing

These are AWESOME!! They are so fast to use and they make things taste great. Last night I made fish and a veggie medley in 10 minutes. My kids voluntarily ate fish, zucchini, squash, and bell peppers. I HIGHLY recommend giving these a try. They will become a staple in our house.

Filing System

We are all about efficiency in this house.

When we first got hitched, we were good newly married people and filed our bills and receipts in properly labeled hanging files.
Then we moved to Texas and the files got a little disorganized.
Then we began living real grown-up lives with a house and a family and many bills and the filing cabinet was overflowing.
So we began filing things in nice neat piles on the floor of the entry way closet. We basically knew were everything was located.
Then we had company come to stay with us and she used the closet for her luggage. So we moved our neat piles into grocery sacks. Eventually the grocery sacks became too numerous for the closet floor, and without the time to properly clean out the files, we moved the grocery sacks to the garage floor.
And so time passed.

Six months...

A year...

And 18 months later we still have grocery sacks filled with junk mail that needs to be shredded, reciepts, and other random things. We have finally cleaned out the filing cabinets and out current filing system is to open the mail and pile it on the end of the kitchen counter for a week or two. Then it gets moved to the computer desk. After about a month or two of being in the computer desk, we will sort it out, shred stuff, and file things in the cabinet.

But have no fear...Kenny has revamped the process. I rather like it. What do you think?

PS- We have also decided to join the camp of "If you don't open a bill, it doesn't exist." Wouldn't it be GREAT it that were true?!?

Future Boy Scouts: Be Prepared

You know, I love that my boys think there is nothing wrong running around the house with a basket on their heads (a space helmet), a pencil in hand (magic wand), and an old purse of mine filled with emergency supplies (fake dollars Kenny made, an R2D2 action figure, a few plastic letters, and a colored pencil, and not to forget an empty chapstick tube). It's great that they are learning emergency preparedness. I mean, I would be lost in pretend space without a green plastic G.

It Is Cheaper To Be Fat

Cost of a McDonald's Double Cheeseburger: $1
Cost of about 3 apples: $1.69

Cost of a large bag of generic cookies: $ .99
Cost of the smallest bag of generic baby carrots: $1.19

Cost of a box of Gordon Fish Sticks- on sale with an in store coupon: $1.50
Cost of frozen tilapia fillets- on sale with an in store coupon: $4.52

Cost of a two liter of 7-up: $1.10
Cost of a gallon of milk: $3.79

We are trying...really trying to eat well. But it is horribly difficult for people on a budget to buy healthy food. Fruit and veggies cost a small fortune. Healthy meat and fish...forget it. It's becoming cheaper to eat steak than chicken. I tried to buy some fresh green beans...$2.49 a pound! So I tried to get frozen...$1.99 for a small bag.

Choice: Stay fat and on budget or stay on our budget and remain chunky monkeys. Hmm.....what to do.

Happy Birthday Boys!

My baby turned three!!!

When did this happen?!? When did he suddenly grow up into a big boy? I can't believe how much time has passed since those months I spent on bedrest with him. It feels like such a short time.

We had a good birthday. We had gumbo for dinner, followed by presents and cupcakes. Nathan got a couple Little Einstein toys, and a great magnetic Book of Mormon book for church. He also got a trike, which I will post about later (we had a family adventure today).

We are so grateful to have our little Nathan in our family. He is a very loving little boy. He likes to cuddle. He has the biggest blue eyes I have ever seen. He melts every heart he meets. I love watching him change and really grow into his personality. We love you Nathan!!
PS- Despite his reluctance to admit it, my husband had a birthday on the same day as Nathan. I promised not to make a big deal out of it so here's a simple happy birthday. I love you!

I have a new motto.

When dealing with customer service...keep in mind your dealing with people who make minimum wage.

Take that how you will. But it helps me understand why grown adults seem to have a total lack of basic manners and people skills.

On The Job

I had one of those days. One of the other teacher's sub never showed up and I had her class. I called the office twice and they said they would get someone, but the head secretary was out so the office was apprantly incapable of functioning. I had 40 kindergarteners. Just think about that for a minute....
Do you have any idea how hard it is to not only supervise but maintain a learning environment for 40 kids all alone in a small room for a day. Not just an hour...a day. Here is a run down.

1 STILL in pull-ups
10 who can't tie shoes
30 who can't sit still
4 who needed help getting their pants buttoned
1 who cut his hair
3 who stomped on ketchup packets on the cafertira floor
1 who pooped his pants
2 who peed their pants
4 who played make-up counter with markers
2 injuries on the playground (they ran into each other)


However, I am proud to say I managed to teach a lesson for every subject.

Enjoy Jeff's take on teaching. I highlighted my favorites.


Jeff Foxworthy's Take on Teachers

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER?

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs
to the child out of line.

2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "It's Ms/Mr. _________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or
another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times
of the day: lunch and prep period .

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can
use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the
classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita
machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7
to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says
"Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their
behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own
children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least
five items!

18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a "good
choice or a bad choice."

19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils

20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,

21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way
after meeting his or her parents.

Loot

One of the perks of being a teacher is Valentine's Day gifts. It is really very sweet how excited the little ones get about bringing you something. This is a picture of this years "loot."

The only little problem is that you get the some of the same things every year. I have received approximately 20 mugs in the last five years. I also have quite a selection of stuffed animals holding hearts. And this year, I have four boxes of chocolates.

Though, I have to say my favorite gift this year is the pink fake rose, with the petal's tips dipped in silver glitter, with beads of hot glue to look like dew, and a small, blue, fuzzy bear glued to the stem. My class is going to use it as a pointer. The little girls will love it!

My Valentine

What is your husband's name?

Ken

How long have you been together?

8 years and 5 months. We have been married for 7 years 7 months.

Who eats more?

Um...usually him...unless chocolate is involved...then it's a toss up

Who said I love you first?

Ken. Actually he said, "I think I'm falling in love with you." And I said, "Thank you." We both said it a few days later.

Who is taller?

Ken

Who has more speeding tickets?

Ken. I get registration tickets.

Who is smarter?
I don’t know…Ken is brilliant at just about anything he attempts. But I would not consider myself unintelligent.

Who is more sensitive?

I'm a woman...enough said.

When there is a fight, who usually wins?

It's about even.

Who does the laundry?

I do.

Who does the dishes?

I do most of the time.

Who sleeps on the right?

Well, our mattress is hurting Ken's back (we need a new one), so I actually sleep on the whole bed and he sleeps elsewhere . We're like an old people couple.

Who pays the bills?

He does...with my money.

Who mows the lawn?

Usually Ken. Though if you have been a regular blog reader, you will remember we get Kenny out there to help.

Who cooks dinner?

I do. Ken will do dinner for me sometimes, but Papa John's does the cooking. However, he is a great gourmet cook and whips up wonderful dinners on occasion.

Who drives when you are together?

Ken. And I have been labeled as the worst back seat driver. It a sore spot with us.

Who is more stubborn?

I would say Ken. But he thinks I am. I guess it's all about perspective, but since I am the author of this post...Ken is more stubborn.

Who kissed whom first?

This is a topic that we will be arguing about for the rest of eternity. Ken kissed me first. I made it pretty easy for him, but HE moved first. And don't listen to anything he says. That's what happened.

Who asked who out first?

We met on a blind date on Sept. 3rd, 1999. We went to Applebe's, came back to my apartment so I could change into warmer clothes, I farted directly into his face, then we headed up to the mountains to talk and...well...refer to the above question. (I'm not a hussy. He was REALLY hot!!! You'd do it to!)

Who proposed?

Ken. About 4 weeks after we met, I was at the mall with my roommates and saw the wedding ring currently on my finger. I called Ken, told him where to find the ring, and he bought it. He didn't actually give it to me until Jan. 17th, 2000.

Who has more siblings?

Me. I am the oldest of 5, he is the second of 4.

Our Weekend

Kenny has had a constant fever averaging 102. It will go down to 101 or 100 with Tylenol. Now Ken is getting sick and I am feeling a bit under the weather myself, but fighting it off well. In a surprising twist of fate, Nathan is the healthiest of the bunch. Maybe we should all have ear surgery. So I have spent the weekend washing dishes, sweeping floors, vacuuming, washing 5 loads of laundry, running errands, and administering medication and applying wet washcloths to little foreheads. Fun, fun!! The plus side...Kenny hasn't gotten into any mischief for 3 days. It's a vacation!!

I promise I'll be funny again someday.

We Sure Love Our Kenny!

This is the picture Kenny drew of the "stinks" in Egypt. It is next to the big river in Egypt. Apparently, the big river in Egypt is now called the Cairo Lake, not the Nile.

I know he can be a bit...a lot...of a handful, but this little man melts my heart. He can be so loving and sweet. Yesterday morning he woke up before I went to work, climbed into my lap, curled up in a little ball, and said, "I haven't had enough love today." He is not a cuddly kid by nature, so holding him is a special treat. His smile is disarming and his eyes light up the room. He is so witty and charms everyone he meets. I love how hard he works at figuring out new things. He is very perceptive, though most of the time you can't tell until he repeats things he's heard later. He is very sensitive to people's moods. He blows me away sometimes when he says his personal prayers at night. He will pray for people and things I didn't know he was aware of. One of my favorite things is to see how much he is like his daddy. They have the same expressions- lie biting their bottom lips when concentrating. It's adorable. We are so fortunate to have him as a part of our family. My only prayer is that we continue to learn how to be the type of parents he needs.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

just fall asleep wherever you happen to be!

Since I'm already here and posting...

We all know how posts from me come only so often (There's that whole login thing, and then there's that typing thing... WHAT A PAIN!!!) so while I'm already here and in a posting mood, I've decided to treat you to two more vids.

You're Such a Drama... Chipmunk?!?


What is WRONG with that chipmunk???


*Note the videos can be watched in reverse with the following captions: Bottom vid - I am such a DRAMA-LEMUR!!! Top vid - What is WRONG with that lemur???

Videos

After so many hours of job-hunting and resume-posting, one can start to lose their sanity. Videos like this help. (I presume these videos are effective for bad/boring days at work, but I can only write from my pitiful, mooching-off-the-wife, thirtysomething-and-jobless, experience.) Enjoy!

Frozen Grand Central by Improv Everywhere


This is why Hockey is so fun...

All On A Friday Night

We had a great family night on Friday. The boys have both outgrown their tennis shoes. We decided we were going to go out to Denny's for dinner, then head over to Wal-Mart to get shoes and let the boys pick out their Valentine's Day cards. Kenny was in a great mood and had behaved himself all day and Nathan had a good nap and was very cheerful. The perfect formula for a family night out. We loaded up the car and headed to Denny's. About 2 minutes from the restaurant, Nathan started crying about his head hurting. We thought he was hungry, so we got to the restaurant and tried to get him to eat some crackers. He would not settle down. I told Ken to order and I would go over to Wal-Mart (they share a parking lot) to get some Tylenol . On the way back to Denny's, I hears a burp. I thought, "Maybe he'll feel better now that he has that bubble out of his tummy." I parked the car, turned around, and witnessed one of the highlights of motherhood-vomit...all over the kid...and the car seat...and the car.

We didn't get new shoes. We figured it would be socially unacceptable to take a child covered in vomit into a store, even if it is Wal-Mart.