Ringing with randomness

Today we ring out 2008 and ring in 2009.  Does that mean I need to find me a bell?  I never really understood that term.  

Anyhoo.  Another year is over whether bells are involved or not.  I thought it would be fun to end the year with a bunch of randomness since it's what I do best.  

• Every time we travel from Ohio back home to Indiana I play the state license plate game and see how many states we can find.  So far, this latest trip has been the most successful with 26 states (including Alaska) and even a bonus of Ontario, Canada.  
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• Our house in Indiana is still for sale.  Ugh.  We may have a potential rent to buy situation on the horizon, but it's still ify (is that even a word? Ify? Well, it is today.)
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• I haven't watched a movie by myself in a long time, but I was able to do it on our trip back from Iowa to Indiana.  I watched Get Smart and thought it was really funny.  
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• While staying at my parents house I fell down the 3 stairs that go from their house to the garage and rolled my ankle (no, I wasn't drinking, just wearing stupid shoes).  It was pretty painful and it's still a bit tender, but I still managed to go to a group exercise class.  And plan on it again this morning. No pain no gain (and I'm insane.)
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• I am amazed at how Carson can sit and fill up an entire page with different ideas and drawings.  He's a very creative boy and I can't wait to see where that takes him in life. 
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• Luke on the other hand will sit with one colored marker and color in a drawing but do it with such perfection and patience.  He's good at staying in the lines for being only 3.
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• Taylor is showing some artistic skill as well with his free hand drawings and comics.  He's also getting really cute and has girls knocking on our door every day to play.  Oh those teenage years are going to be something else.  I still have a few years to go until then.  So until then, don't remind me. 

Well, that's all the randomness I have for you today.  But don't worry, there is always more from where that came from.  Aren't you feeling lucky?!?!  

Have a wonderful and safe New Years Eve.  I was thinking about wearing this ensemble tonight.  

Have a flashy New Year.

Happy Birthday Jay!

Today is my brother Jay's birthday.  The poor guy has to spend it in Florida.  Lucky!

We are 3 years apart and growing up together we had a lot of fun.  I would play matchbox cars with him and he would play barbies with me.  We were a good blend of sibling play mates. 

And now that I am older (and he's even older!) we still get along really well.  I wish I was able to see him more often and spend more time together, but I take what I can get and cherish what we do have.  

I hope you're having a blast in Florida and please bring back some warm weather for the rest of us!  

Love you Jay-Jay.

Sincerely,

Your loving little sis

The best Christmas gift

Here are the best Christmas gifts I have ever received.  Look at how nice they are wrapped.  

Thanks Santa - you're the best! 

The simple life

Christmas has come and gone and the flurry of the season seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.  The many boxes and bows and packages opened was overwhelming as it is every year.  Sometimes having too much can make you long for simplicity.  

Today I reflect back on the simple things in my life that bring me joy.  Things that can’t be wrapped in pretty paper or bought in a store.    

1. sunshine
   
2. country roads
   
3. watching snow flakes fall
   
4. listening to thunderstorms
   
5. playing games with my boys
   
6. sharpened pencils
   
7. hearing the words “I love you”
   
8. baking and eating chocolate chip cookies
   
9. playing frisbee and football
   
10. dancing
    
11. drinking coffee
    
12. playing with a dog
    
13. talking and laughing with family and friends
    
14. finding money on the ground
    
15. my favorite scents; lilac, pine, coconut, vanilla, fresh cut grass
    

I could go on and on and add more to the list.  

I am grateful for the simple things in life. 

This is why I don't cook for others

This Christmas Eve I decided to cook a nice somewhat traditional holiday dinner for my husband and 3 boys.  I had thought about what I wanted to make the week before, but never got around to looking up the recipes, writing down the grocery list, and shopping for the ingredients.  

I got to business the day of Christmas Eve and went to the store.  Why is it that everyone else had the same idea?  I think the entire town was shopping at that same exact moment.  

My thought was to make a ham.  I have never before attempted this and have always enjoyed my parents being the cooks, but they weren't here and I wasn't there so it was up to me.  

No pressure or anything.  

The selection of hams was completely picked over.  There were maybe 5 enormous hams that could feed my entire neighborhood or there were small slices for those that wanted to take all the hassle out of cooking.  I should have gone that route.  Instead I opted for something in between, or what I thought was an in between option.  It looked like the perfect size 'ham' to feed our family of 5 without having much leftovers.  

Perfect.  

I finished up my shopping and headed home to prepare dinner.  When I got back, hubby looked at what I bought with a confused look on his face.  He asked what we were having to eat.  I told him he was holding it.  He looked at the 'ham' and back at me and said, "Bacon?"  

What?  You've got to be kidding, right?  I took a look at the label and sure enough it said Canadian Bacon.  

For crying out loud.  This is what I get for waiting until the last minute to prepare a dinner that should have been a bit more thought out.  Ugh. 

Our options were running out as was time.  So we made the best of it and ate our bacon ham dinner along with other side dishes which included real mashed potatoes, sweet dressing, green bean casserole and dinner roles.

And this is why I have no confidence in my cooking skills.  

Maybe I should have invited Jim Gaffigan over for dinner.  He's a big bacon fan.    

Smile!

Today we are traveling back to Indiana to spend some time with family and friends.  We are also going to stay a few nights in Iowa to visit Jason's side of the family.  

So while we're gone I thought it would be a good time to play along with a meme that Dawn from Baby Addiction tagged me with.  

The rules are you have to take a picture of yourself right when you're tagged and post it.  

Fun.  

Thank goodness I had taken a shower that day and prepared myself, otherwise I don't think I'd have any more readers to this blog of mine.  

Here's the shot.

We recently got a MacBook and it has this awesome program called Photo Booth.  This was a lot easier than getting out the camera, taking the shot, downloading and then uploading it.  One click and I was done.  

Here are some other fun pictures I created with Photo Booth.  I am easily entertained.

Care to play along?  I tag the following:

Nikki @ This Mama's Trip

Sharon @ The Bird's Nest

Leanne @ Tired Mama

If anyone else wants to play along, consider yourself tagged as well.  Leave a comment and I'd love to check you out!

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a mushroom?

On my birthday I mentioned that I made a fabulous Chicken Piccata dinner and I wanted to share the recipe with you.  It's always amazing when I make a meal and every single person in the family likes it and eats every bite.  That was this meal.  I will be adding it to the monthly menu rotation (not that I really have a monthly menu rotation, but it just sounded good).  

And if you're looking for a healthy dinner, then you might just need to look elsewhere or be really good at healthy substitutions - I am sure this is loaded with fat, but man-o-man is it tasty.  No wonder everyone loved it.  

Although, I learned the hard way that kids don't like capers.  They thought they were peas and Taylor commented, "These are the worst peas I've ever eaten.  They taste sour." 

Also, the recipe calls for mushrooms, but I know the boys don't particularly care for them, so I left them out.  That decision came back to haunt me in another form.  

The kids got these chocolate advent calendars from their uncle Jay.  Every day they open up a door and behind it is a small piece of chocolate with a special Christmas design on it.  Here is an example of some of the pieces.  

A Christmas tree.

A sleigh full of presents.

A Christmas ornament.

And then of all days, my birthday, the kids open door #22 and what do they find behind it?  A mushroom.  Since when do mushrooms have anything to do with Christmas?  Really?  Have I missed something?  It's because I omitted them from my Chicken Piccata recipe, isn't it?  I knew they would come back to haunt me.  Well, either way, the boys ate their "mushroom" that day.  

Here's the recipe for any of you who are interested.  Have a wonderful Christmas.  And if you're still looking for a last minute gift, I hear mushrooms are the latest tradition.

Chicken Piccata

3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp paprika

2 eggs

3 tbsp milk

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded flat

6 tbsp butter

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup white wine

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup cream

3 tbsp capers

DIRECTIONS:

In a shallow dish, mix together flour, salt and paprika. In a separate dish mix together egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in seasoned flour.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium high heat. Saute chicken pieces until golden brown. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine the broth, wine, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and let chicken mixture simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add cream and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add capers in the last 2 minutes. Serve over angel hair pasta.

The morning bounce surprise

Yesterday I told the kids I had a surprise for them and they would have to get up earlier than normal.  I wouldn't give any other clues except they had to wear socks and their Brown's jerseys (along with the rest of their clothes, of course).

If anyone listens to the local Cleveland radio station Q104 they might know what I am talking about.  They had their first annual Inflatable Christmas at Bounce City which is a place to take your kids and they can jump, slide, and play on various inflatable apparatus. 

We arrived at 8:30 am.  The station was broadcasting live from Bounce City, there was food, AND they had guest appearances by a few Cleveland Brown's football players.  I had my fingers crossed for Brady Quinn, but he didn't show up.  Darn-it!   (Did you know we live less than 6 miles away from him?)  Darnell Dinkins was there along with Josh Cribbs.  

The boys couldn't believe they got to meet real NFL football players.  We even got a picture with Josh Cribbs and he autographed the boys jerseys.  It was a fun and memorable day.  All for a $5 donation.  What a deal!  

The Birthday Recap

My birthday morning began with me waking up to the sounds of a boy, which I won't name names Luke opening and eating chocolate candy in my bedroom.  

I opened my eyes, looked over and saw this cute chocolate face staring at me.  Thinking I was going to hear a sweet, "Happy Birthday Mommy," instead I got this, "Mom - I have to go poop."

After the morning routine of starting the laundry and emptying the dishwasher I sat down with my coffee to browse my email.  And what a great way to kick off the day.  I had birthday greetings from Tivo, a local Cleveland radio station, a radio station in Chicago, and numerous friends from Facebook.  It made me feel so warm and special. 

Carson came down already dressed for the day in a very clashing unique way.  He had on black pants and two collared shirts, one short sleeve with green and white stripes and one long sleeve with blue and orange stripes.  I asked why he was dressed the way he was and he told me he wanted to surprise me for my birthday by wearing fancy clothes.  How cute is that?  

Taylor's way of wishing me a happy birthday was to scare the pajama bottoms off of me by sneaking up behind me and shouting "Happy Birthday" in my ear.  He's so thoughtful.

Then my parents gave me a call.  I picked up the phone and they started singing Happy Birthday, but to the tune of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'.  They're not bad singers either.  

In the afternoon I took the kids to the local animal shelter (that we visit once a week) and we played with a few dogs for close to an hour.  I seriously don't know how I leave that place without adopting a dog each time.  I've come very close.

In the evening I went to my favorite workout class of the week where the instructor played music that I requested (which also happened to be a CD that I gave to him for a Christmas gift).  We came home and I made the most delicious Chicken Piccata dinner (minus mushrooms) for dinner.  (I will have to post the recipe - it is to DIE for! And all my boys loved it.)  I also baked an angel food cake with the help of my boys.  

They presented me with homemade cards, which I love and will cherish forever!  And as far as hubby's gift, I must say he did very well.  I asked him to go to any store that he thought I would like and pick out an outfit for me.  He has good taste and I was curious to see what he would buy for me.  So stay tuned for a picture of the newest addition to my wardrobe.

We ended the day by watching the Chicago Bears game and drinking a few glasses of wine.  Not a bad day at all.  

Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, whether it was via my blog, email, Facebook, Myspace, text message, voice message, phone call, in person or a card in the mail.  You all made my day!  I couldn't have asked for more.

Life Lessons

Here are some life lessons I've learned in the past 31 years:

1) Never underestimate the power of drinking water.

2) Never overestimate the power of drinking too much wine.

3) Don't assume brown smudges on the floor are chocolate.

4) You're never too old to play on a swing set.

5) Always check the oven before you turn it on.

6) Distance does make the heart grow fonder and it also makes you homesick.

7) Money can't buy true happiness or love.

8) It's never too late to tell someone you're sorry.

9) You don't always have to have all the answers, just an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.

10) Being independent is a good trait as long as it's used in the proper way.

11) It's important to take time for yourself, but also make time for others.

12) Love people for who they are not what they do or do not do.

13) Prayer is not only important, but also very powerful.

14) Hug and kiss your kids and tell them "I love you" every day.

15) The harder the task, the greater you will feel the reward of victory.

16) Writing down goals and posting them where they are visible to you and others (like maybe a blog or something) helps you to achieve those goals and holds you accountable.

17) Treat others the way you want to be treated.

18) Don't judge others.  You never fully know their circumstances.

19) Don't dwell on things that happened in the past.  Focus on today and what the future holds.

20) The more you live and play by the rules, the less pain and regret you will experience.

21) Find the good in all people and focus on that.

22) Grudges do no one any good - let them go.

23) Anger only adds fuel to the fire - compassion puts out the flames.

24) Make time to surround yourself, experience, and be in awe of nature and everything that God created.

25) Don't take yourself too seriously.

26) Focus and be thankful for what you have, not what you don't have.

27) Offer words of encouragement and genuine appreciation.

28) Change is inevitable, embrace it and make the best of your situation.

29) Always remember your roots, where you came from.

30) Find  your passion in life and pursue it. 

31) On your birthday thank your mom for giving you life.

Thank you mom for the life you gave me 31 years ago today.  I am so grateful for the love you and dad have shown me throughout the years.  I love you both so very much!

Get loose for heavens sake!

I have a passion for exercise (maybe not as much as this lady) and I have started to look into the options of becoming a certified group fitness instructor.  I am intimidated by the challenge ahead, but this is what I love to do and you know what they say about doing what you love.  Maybe I can incorporate some of these moves into my routines.  Flashback time!

Shake that boogie body!

I love how she says "keep following me" and then the lady in the back freezes.  Hilarious! 

It's a little over the top - and those outfits, whew!  Wild.

"Come on circle those hips, the bigger the circle the thinner the waist!"

Now I can't get this song out of my head.

......ohm chicka...ohm chicka...ohm chicka.......

Bird defense

Lately I have noticed an increase in the number of birds in this area - specifically in our backyard. 

They come in flocks and like to congregate in every square foot of our yard.  

I can't even get the dog to scare them off, but I think I've found the secret weapon.  

Watch and see.

We may have even scared the neighbors in the process.

These boys.

Oh boy - here we go again.  The things these kids say.  When I'm old and gray I will be so glad to have these memories to look back on and laugh.

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Luke brings me his toothbrush and blue colored toothpaste and asks me, "Hey, can you get me a little blue?"

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I went to check on Luke who I thought was taking a nap, but when I walked in his room I found him stacking his books.  I asked him what he was doing and he replied, "I'm oar-zah-nigh-ging." I had to have him repeat what he was trying to say and finally by the 6th time I figured out what he was trying to tell me.  He was "organizing."

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When Luke gets really ticked off he has a way with words.  His frustration leads him to say obscenities in the phase of "idiot, damn-head." (I don't approve of this talk what-so-ever, but sometimes hearing that come out his sweet little 3 year old mouth is too much.)

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Luke took the paper off his red crayon and Carson asked, "Is your crayon naked now?"

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We walked past a guy who was using a spreader to distribute sidewalk salt.  Carson noticed and said, "That guy's fertilizing."

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I told Carson that we had to pick up his friend after school because his mom had to work.  Luke was listening and said, "Mommy's don't work, only Daddy's do."

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I bought a "floral" arrangement which had a lot of darker colored grass in it.  Carson took one look at it and asked, "Why did you buy dead grass?"

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Carson's bus driver was handing out Starbursts to the kids for their Christmas treat.  Carson runs off the bus with excitement and announces, "Mom - I just got Starbucks!"

Rushed

The other day was busy full of rushing here and there.  And for no particular reason.  I couldn't even use the excuse of last minute Christmas shopping because I wasn't even doing that.  

I had a lot of errands to run in a short amount of time.  Thankfully I only had one boy to drag around, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten much accomplished without pulling my hair out.  

So, by the time I got home and unpacked the piles of shopping bags and put things away, I sat down at the computer to check email and blogs.  

I guess I let the time slip away from me, and I probably shouldn't have been on the computer because the next thing I heard was the bus pulling into our subdivision.  

Carson hadn't even had lunch yet, and I had approximately 3 minutes from the time I heard the bus to the time it pulled up to our house to get him bundled up, fed and out the door.

I pulled out an Uncrustable (thank goodness I bought those) from the freezer while I frantically tried to help him get his shoes tied and coat situated.  

Here is the description from Smucker's about the Uncrustable: The perfect "grab-and-go" sandwich for families on the move. Simply keep them in the freezer, then pack them in your lunch in the morning. By lunchtime, Uncrustables^® are thawed and ready to eat.

Okay - I needed the sandwich NOW, not thawed in time for lunch.  I needed to literally grab and go, like they said.  I opted to quickly (as in 30 seconds) defrost it in the microwave, which it said not to do on the box, but I was running out of options.  I could either let my kid go to school hungry, feed him a frozen pb&j, or attempt to defrost it in record time.  

I took the last option and was hand feeding him as we were running out the door and I saw the bus coming down the street.  

I realized why they recommend not using the microwave.  The inside turned to liquid and dripped all over my hand and the sidewalk.  Luckily, the dog was there to help clean it up.  Carson did his best to eat as quick as he could without choking - thankfully.  And he took his last bite as the bus stopped and opened its' doors.  

Whew - next time I need to be a bit more prepared. 

Dog Dayz

I love close up shots of dogs and here are my two favorite pups.

For more WW click here.

States and Capitals - Let's review.

This week Taylor has a test covering half of the states and capitals, which includes knowing their geographical location and the correct spelling.  He brought home a "filmstrip" project to use as a study guide.  I think I better help him with the spelling on these three.

First we have Hawii (also known as Hawaii, Honolulu)

 This just tells me the boy's been playing too much Wii!

Then we have Calafornia with the capital being Scaremento (also known as California, Sacramento, although Scare is a good word to go with parts of CA such as LA).

And last we have the 'Only' one left, Washington with the capital of Onlypia (also known as Olympia.)

Looks like we've got some studying to do.

Not much to it and that's ok!

I am not much of a decorator, nor do I get much enjoyment out of decorating, but I thought I'd jump on this house tour bandwagon that's sweeping the blogosphere and let you peek into the slight minimalist effort I put into Christmas decorating this year.  

Let's begin with the Christmas village that I love.  My dear friend Amanda gave these to me and I think they are quite charming.  

What village wouldn't be complete without Flick sticking his tongue to the flag pole.  This is one of my favorite Christmas movies and now that we live in the Cleveland area it has even more meaning.  
In the corner is my purple mini tree that I used last year for my Christmas cards, but decided to keep it simple this year and just let it be.  I'm so exciting aren't I.  Is anyone still here?  Hello?

On the inside front door is a special hand knit decoration that my mom gave me that belonged to her parents.  I remember this hanging in their house when I was a kid and I would braid the tassels at the bottom.  Some of the braiding is still there.
This is something I created, well, kind of.  I bought the red glittery balls and shoved them in a fake plant I bought from the store.  Hey, I am proud of my work!  That's as crafty as I get.
Santa's watching and listening.  You better watch what you're saying about my decorating style.  He looks pretty serious.
And here's the man again with his reindeer and some balls.  That doesn't sound right, does it.  Sorry Santa.  I'll keep it G rated.
This is the kid's nativity set that they like to play with.  The characters are made out of cloth so nothing is breakable which makes it perfect for my three boys.  Uh, I'm not sure why the angel is straddling the roof.    
Oh yes, the tree.  I love my new tree and it's bright LED lights.  Please excuse the crooked tacky blue and green flashing star.  It was a last minute decision since the star I normally use broke and I couldn't find a decent replacement.  This replacement will be getting replaced again next year.  And pretend you don't see lovely extension cord off to the side.  

And that wraps up the inside of the house tour.  Maybe, if you're lucky, I will post some outside pictures.  It's once again simple, but enough.  Just think when it's time to take it all down, mine will only take a few minutes.  

What's in your oven?

It's time to get serious people.  

I've made my list of Christmas cookies that I want someone to bake for me uh, I mean I want to shove in my mouth ok, fine, I want to bake.  

I've pulled out the recipes.  I've purchased the ingredients. 

The only thing that's missing. . . . .  

motivation

I love to bake - but I am overwhelmed.  I have 7 different cookies that I want to make this year. Five of which I am used to making and 2 that are new but sound wonderful.  In the past I have usually only made one or two and at different times, but I feel like I am ready to take on the task of multiple migraines cookie varieties.  

Can someone smack some sense into me please?

Here is the list of what sounded good at the time:

•  wedding cake cookies
  
• buckeyes
• chocolate dipped Ritz
• peanut butter blossoms
• thumbprint cookies
• choco-marshmallow cookies
• the traditional Grandma's frosted sugar cookies

I know Santa is counting on me and I really hope I don't disappoint him and myself.  

(Note to self: purchase some Chips Ahoy as a backup plan.)

What cookies are you baking this holiday season?

Creeps at Christmas

Tis the season to be scammed.  And I was almost a victim to it, but many red flags were popping up during my latest Craigslist sale.  Here are the actual emails between "Paul" and I.  You really can't trust anyone.  How very sad.

Hello 

I will like to know if your items is available for sell

Thanks Paul

Yes, the table and chairs are still available.

Hello
Thanks for the prompt response  and i will love to make an instant purchase,so please do  
withdraw the advert from craigslist,i don't mind adding an extra $50 for you to take  the 
advert down from the web site so that i can be rest assured that am in hand of the item.I 
would have loved to come take a look myself   but my son is going for kidney transplant in 
few days and i have to do all the running around as my wife is so scared,i am sure you 
understand. I will also like you to know that i will be paying via  a check,and it will be 
overnight payment due to the distance .You don't need to bother your self with the shipment 
,i will take care of that.So i will need you to provide me with the following information to 
facilitate the mailing of the check.
1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address be it residential 
3.Your phone #.
**Once again ,I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for shipping i will 
have my mover come over as soon as you have cashed the check**
Have a nice day Paul

Hi Paul.  I generally don't like to accept personal checks, but am willing to take a cashier's check.  Would that be okay?  Here is my information....

Yes it will be Cashier Check Okay I want you to understand that the deal as my  secretary as posted the payment already, but there was a slight error i guess we can handle with care, instead of the actual amount  $500 for the item,she made out the check for $1700  she claim that was what i requested  but she didn't get that straight.So once you have the check please cash it and  deduct the money for your goods plus $100 that for your run around expenses.The excess fund should please be sent to my mover via western union,this fund will be use in offsetting the cost of the shipment he as undertaken  for me recently.**Please email at once to let me know that i can trust to have the excess funds sent to my mover** 

You know what - this sounds really suspicious to me.  I do not feel comfortable continuing with this transaction.  

From there I attached a list of scams and common sense rules that I found on Craigslist to show him I knew he was trying to scam me.  

I followed up with a phone call to the police department to file a complaint.  They sent an officer to the house and I printed off the emails for him to review. As I was printing them Mr. Paul yet AGAIN sends me another email which reads:

Am sorry but he made a mistake he was suppose to send you  your money and issue check to the mover but he issue everything on your name that's why Okay....The check is on the way to you 

I showed the officer and he decided he wanted to email this guy back.  Here is what the officer emailed him from my computer.

Mr. Paul Cool,

This is patrolman K.  with the **** Police Dept.  The resident here suspects that you may be a scam artist, and after reading your emails, i suspect you are as well.  I have your information and will be forwarding it to our detectives, as well as the FBI and SSI to investigate you.  You are hereby being formally advised to cease contact with this email address and please do not attempt to call or come by this residence or we will be forced to pursue menacing by stalking charges against you.  If you have any questions, please contact me at the **** Police Dept. Thank you and have a nice day!

Looking back on this whole ordeal there were many things that stood out to me.

• The broken English and misspellings 
• His son having a kidney transplant (seriously? come on now!)
• Paying me extra money to take down my listing
• The secretary's "error" of writing the check for $1,200 over the actual sales price
• The secretary having a sex change from female to male
• Again, offering to pay me an extra $100 for my "run around expenses"
• Not being able to meet in person
• Requesting me to wire him the excess funds via Western Union  
  

Sorry dude, you're out of luck!  

I hate creeps, especially at Christmas.  Go find a legitimate way to make money.

Er!