9/11

September 11, 2001

10 years ago, I was a Freshman at OSU with an early morning English class. As I was getting out of the elevator in a classroom building, another student walked in muttering about planes crashing and the world ending. I figured the guy was still drunk from the night before. (What else would you expect in a college town?) It's about a 15 minute walk from the classroom building to the sorority house where I lived. I remember walking into the house and seeing my sisters crowded around the TV. There I saw what my drunk friend was muttering about: planes crashing and the world ending.

May we never forget...

Easter Tree

Having young children in your house requires decorating for ALL holidays. Nate's grandmother had an Easter tree for as long as he can remember, so I wanted to start the tradition too once we had kids. Jackson starts bugging me to pull out "the fun eggs" the minute he sees Peeps in the grocery store. Even if that means starting in February when the Valentine's Day candy is still out. But I can't blame him - aren't these eggs A-DOR-ABLE?!



I picked these up from World Market years ago, and they still put a smile on my face every year when I pull them out.

And yes, I know that my table runner doesn't match my Easter decor. It's been on my to-do list for weeks now.

They work hard for the $$$....

The military life is the only one that I know. My dad was in the Army and then I married into the Air Force. I can honestly say that I have never questioned my military lifestyle. I never had to worry about job security for my family because I always saw the military as a safe haven. As long as my dad or my husband did their job and stayed out of trouble, we would always have a paycheck. That is, until now. I think that it is just awful that our troops will have to pay for our government's mistakes.

I am very blessed that my husband and I are savers and that our family will be ok if we don't get a full pay check next week, but I know there are many others who aren't as fortunate. A lot of military members live paycheck to paycheck and rely on a single income. My husband has some VERY young people (still teenagers!!!) that he's in charge of, and I don't know what to tell their spouses when they have called me asking for advice. It's too late to tell them to "save at least 2 months pay" or "to get a job". I can suggest that, but it won't solve the problem when/if it occurs next week...

I pray that our government can come to some sort of agreement soon, so that our men and women in uniform can safely protect our country instead of having to worry about their families back home not being provided for.

Special Mommy Christmas Sandwich

I L-O-V-E Monte Cristo sandwiches. There is something about a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that makes my heart go pitter-patter. And then to add my favorite breakfast food to the mix!? I have just died and gone to heaven!!! With this in mind, I can't believe it took almost 6 years for me to introduce this sandwich to my son. (Perhaps because I didn't want to share my indulgences??)

For Christmas Dinner we had a FABULOUS ham (cooked by moi!) and 2 days later, this is what we had left:


Oh, what to do with all this gloriousness??? Since the kiddos were home for Winter Break, I told my son that I was going to make him a "special sandwich" for lunch. I told him it was my favorite which was called a Monte Cristo. His big brown eyes light up, and then he goes: "I want a special mommy christmas sandwich too!!" How cute is that?!?!

RECIPE (or lack of...)
bread (my kids like honey wheat)
mayo
mustard
ham
cheese (I used my son's favorite, Havarti)
milk
egg

1) Spread bread with mayo and mustard.
2) Place ham and cheese on bread.
3) Beat and egg and milk in a small bowl.
4) Coat the sandwich in the egg/milk mixture.
5) Cook in a greased skillet over medium heat.

Don't cook it on too high of a heat because the sandwich will become soggy (just like when you cook french toast).

Add a sprinkling of powdered sugar and serve along with raspberry jam (my kid prefers strawberry).

And there you have a "special mommy christmas sandwich" YUM-YUM!

Frosty Returns!

During the school year, my kids eat breakfast and lunch at school (or daycare in my daughter's case). Because of this, I try to make these meals extra special on "home days". Well, I had plenty of home days during the 2 weeks they were both home during Christmas Break (or winter holiday if you prefer....) I'll be posting a few of the fun things we had during the break. I know it's late, but remember my goal for 2011 was to blog more so I'm also posting the things I had planned to!
I saw this snowman on A Pocket Full of Buttons and immediately bookmarked it! Isn't he the cutest snowman ever?! The kids loved him so much he came back to visit 3 mornings in a row!

I used an M&M for a nose, mini chocolate chips for his eyes, smile, and buttons, a bacon scarf and a little bit of homemade strawberry jam for hair.

Homework Box

My oldest child started Kindergarten last August (oh, how they grow up so fast!) and has been bringing home homework since the 2nd week of September. Since when did they start giving Kindergarteners homework?! What happened to enjoying the afternoon playing after being at school ALL day (yes, ALL DAY kindergarten!) :::SIGH::: but I digress...

Since I have been a student myself for a while now, my son would constantly want to do "homework" with me even before he was old enough to understand what homework was. Now that he has his own, he has been proudly asking every day when he comes home "can we do our homework now?" :::PICKS HERSELF UP OFF THE FLOOR::: Now only if this could last forever...

I needed a way to organize the things he was constantly using after school: crayons, pencils, glue, etc. I hated how everything was in a different spot and in a different container. Then I saw the perfect solution on Just a Girl. I couldn't find any like the ones she used, but when I saw these at IKEA, I fell in love!

Here's my finished product!

My son was doing homework at the time I took the pictures, so what you don't see is the glue stick and scissors that go in the box as well. We keep markers, pencils (his teacher gives them away as prizes, in case you're wondering why we have so many different kinds!), erasers (more prizes), crayons, and of course a pencil sharpener because he must always have a sharp pencil (I HATE dull pencils...) I love how those little dividers are adjustable so as he gets bigger and his needs change, he can do it himself. And nothing says "MINE!" more than a little personalization.

So how do you all organize your kids' school supplies and make homework fun?

Linking to:

Happy New Year!

My resolution this year is to blog more, and stalk less. Yes, I said stalk less. I am addicted to reading others' blogs, but am horrible at posting on my own. It has been 6 months since my last post, which is just plain awful. I would plan on writing a post, but never get around to posting it. I would even take the time to take a decent picture... then my kids would distract me or I would just plain forget. I just don't know how all you blogging mamas do it!

So as I say good-bye to 2010, I say hello to 2011 and the blogging world!

Happy Memorial Day!

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,
who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag, and whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

-Author Unknown

It's not about the pool parties, the barbecue, or the beers...please take time to remember those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you to all those who have served!

What a pain!

My hubby just got back from deployment a couple weeks ago and just like many wives, I was super anxious to get my hands on that deployment money! Our washer and dryer have been on their last leg for the past 6 months, so hubby said that I could purchase my coveted front loading washer and dryer. WHOOHOO!!!! Awesome, right?! Not so much...

This morning we went to the BX to purchase a Whirlpool set that they advertised in their sales flyer this week. We were told they didn't have any in the store, but they could get us one and have it delivered to the house by the end of next week. Great! 4 hours later, the manager calls to inform us that the washer and dryer is no longer available through the BX and Whirlpool has stopped making that specific washer and dryer. WTF?! How can they sell us something, tell us that it will be delivered to our house next week, but then tell us a few hours later that they can't?! The sale just started today and we went in an hour after the store opened! I am so upset especially because it was such a good deal: $1200 for both and it included delivery!

The worst part of the day? The manager had the nerve to try to sell us a more expensive set!!!

When insomnia hits=Make bows!

We had a pretty loud storm come through Northern California last night. Most people I know, LOVE storms and the rain because it lulls me to sleep. I, on the other hand, HATE rain storms because I can not sleep to save my life! So I pulled out my box of ribbon, and here's what I came up with last night.


Now only if I could do more productive things, such as organizing when I can't sleep....

Out with the old and in with the new

I began this blog with the intent of posting frequently and blogging on a weekly basis. I figured it wouldn't be too hard since I'm on my computer all the time anyways. It's a lot harder than I thought! Life gets in the way, and once again I can't finish what I start. But it's a new year and it's time for out with the old and in with the new. I am a notorious procrastinator, but this year I plan to change that.

I hit the ground running when school ended in December. I got a couple projects done that I had been putting off forever. Yay, Me!



These are the DVD towers that I salvaged from the hideous entertainment center we had a few years ago. My husband wanted to throw them away, but I just knew that I would do something (eventually!) with them. I don't have a picture of the old center, but believe me when I say it was hideous!

I sprayed them with Krylon Latex Spray Paint to match the valance that I sewed for his window. The paint has been AWESOME with not peeling from my son's constant use! So I turned these into this:



The empty space next to the tower is for the other tower which is done completely done drying yet. But I couldn't wait to show off my hard work. And as you can see, my son's room is done in Curious George. Do you know how hard it is to find Curious George things nowadays?? It is why I was forced to sew the valance. I still have a few other projects for his room that I need to finish during break and I'll post them as soon as I can.

I'll be linking my first blogged project to...

God Bless America

It's hard to believe that it's already been 8 years. I, just like every other American, will never forget where I was when I learned about the Twin Towers. I was a freshman in college and was in the elevator with my English professor. We were in the elevator headed up to her office when a kid gets on the elevator talking about "airplanes crashing" and the "world ending". Since it was still fairly early in the morning, we just thought he was still drunk from the night before. Little did we know that he was telling the truth. I got back home and there it was on TV: planes had crashed and the world would never be the same.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Lottery

After 2 years of an exhausting and extremely long wait, I have finally won the lottery! I have finally been accepted into a nursing program! Despite the nursing shortage across the country, California is lacking schools to provide nursing degrees. There are only an average of 30 students accepted each semester into a program and well, when you have a couple hundred students all vying for those slots...you can see where this is going. The wait can be a very long time to get in. I know a guy that had been waiting 7 years to get picked up for a program. I feel very blessed and lucky that I only had to wait 2 years. I'm so excited to be starting this new chapter in my life. However it is very scary to think that one day someone will be trusting me as I come at them with needles...MUAHAHAHA = )

Eating disorders

Aly has pretty bad allergies so her doctor had her tested for food allergies. It came back that she was allergic to milk and peanuts. She is not just lactose intolerant like we had thought, but instead is actually allergic to milk. So this means she can't have any diary products at all. Can we say, yuck?! It is SOOO difficult to feed her now that she is eating table food. There is diary in almost everything we eat! So tonight, while the rest of us had meatloaf, peas, and YUMMY garlic mashed potatoes...

(forgot to take a pic before, so I only got an after of Jackson's plate)

My poor baby girl had to resort to eating:

I know it's all natural, but I still feel bad that while the rest of us are eating home cooked foods (probably not as healthy though!) she is eating a boxed dinner. Between Jacks and Aly's food issues, I must have the only set of siblings this young with eating disorders....Does anybody else have to be a short order cook to family members with food allergies??? Any suggestions?

love-hate relationships

Jackson, 4 and Aly, 11 months

This picture was taken right before we headed out for our Annual Mel's 4th of July pancakes. It was my absolute favorite one because it accurately shows their relationship. Jackson is always giving his sister some lovin', but she does anything and everything to get away from it. I can't wait until it's the other way around....*lol*

Creeping and lurking

I have been lurking around a few blogs for the past couple weeks and I started to feel a little creepy. Not because I was reading someone's blog that was obviously meant to be viewed by anyone (it's not like they set it to private!) but because I was reading into their lives and they didn't have the same opportunity to read about mine. It's only fair that since I choose to read about them, that they have the same option if they choose, right? I don't know, you tell me. Is it weird to read about people's lives even though you don't know them? I personally just find it so fascinating!