Wordful Wednesday, weather change

I'm trying to get back into the blogging swing! I'm managing to do a wordful wednesday post. Maybe it's the weather that is making me so.....blah. It's not warm, it's not cold, it's not rainy, it's just blah weather!

The other morning we had really cool fog though. I just had to get the camera and head out to take some pictures. This is what I found!

For more wordful's head on over and visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus! Happy Wednesday.

MIA

Yes I know I have been non existent but I'm just in a slump right now.

I will be back, I just dont know when.

I'm unemployed now and I have been spending ALL of my time looking for a job, with no luck I might add.

See you all in the near future!

Potato soup and random thoughts

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I hadn't really noticed until my mother in law pointed it out to me! I just haven't had anything really exciting going on. It's just been the usual stuff. So I guess I'll share a recipe with you and some random pictures showing how boring we are. The only excitement we have had is me quiting my job and kicking myself for it! Now I'm just stressed.

So here goes...................

We went to the cemetery to see if we could get some neat pictures for Halloween but it just wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted to see some really old headstones and maybe some mausoleums, but there were none to be found. I need to find a much older Cemetery than that one. I would love to go to the sleepy hollow cemetery. For some of those picture click here.

Fall came and went in a hurry. Not only did we not get a "real" summer, fall passed us by as well. I think it lasted a week. We got our first snow today and it is FREEZING. But the good news is that it will be in the 60's again by Wednesday. Thank Goodness!!!I helped out at Shays school last week. They are learning about the earth and erosion. It was such a nice day that we were able to do the science experiment outside. The kids got to play with water and sand to create an experiment like what a river does and how the soil, rocks and sand move and shift. It was hilarious, you would think that these 4th graders had never played in the sand before. All screaming, squeeling and playing. I had a fun time and I look forward to helping out, I just don't know how the teachers get all of those kids to listen! All teachers get major props from Sanity Check.I found this guy in my house the other day. Couldn't figure out what the cat was trying so hard to get at. We rescued him and put it back outside.

Baked Potato Soup

4 lg baked potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 gallon 2% milk

1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tsp chicken stock paste

1/4 Onion chopped fine

1 clove of garlic pressed or minced

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp rosemary

1 Stick of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 c. flour

1/2 lb of bacon cooked crisp

shredded cheddar cheese

green onions, chopped

sour cream

Cook the bacon in a separate pan until crisp, drain it and set it aside. In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add the flour and stir until smooth, let it cook for a few minutes to get the flour taste out. Add 1/2 gallon of milk, chicken bouillon, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and then add the already cooked potatoes and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and serve. Garnish it with more cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions and sour cream.

Well that's all I have for now, so wish me luck in the job search and hope that something sort of exciting happens around here. Nothing too exciting, unless it's winning the lottery!

Wordful Wednesday - Navratri

Navarati means nine nights. It's a celebration throughout India of the Mother Goddess. She has 7 well known forms and is the protector of her worshipers and the destroyer of evil. For 9 nights worshipers visit temples, bring gifts and dance into the early morning hours. There are 2 dances, the first one is the Garba, a circular dance that starts out slowly and gets faster and faster with the music. The second dance in the Dandi-Ros or the stick dance; men, women and children continue the circular dance striking polished sticks to the beat. I was honored to attend the final night (the hubby was working it off duty, so I went with him) of this celebration to take photographs. Every person that I met was generous, peaceful, beautiful and delightful! I had a lot of fun and couldn't have asked for a better group to take pictures of. It was amazing to see so many people dancing the same dance all dressed in their traditional clothes. I'm sorry I missed the stick dance, but by then it was midnight and I had to get home to the kids and give the babysitter a break. I did manage to get a lot of pictures, so here they are!
For more Wordfuls visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus.

Wordful Wednesday, New Beds

A few months ago I came across a picture of a mini loft bed. I fell in love with it and knew that's what I wanted for the boys. The only problem was that I could only find them online sold out of the UK. Um nooooo way was I going to pay those prices plus the shipping. My dad is a carpenter, so I asked him if he would be able to make 2 of them for the boys.

Well guess what was delivered for us on Sunday?!

2 brand new mini loft beds for the boys. They LOVE them and are so excited to sleep in them.

For more Wordful Wednesday posts visit Angie at 7 Clown Circus. She is very mean, she had the nerve to put up pictures of Cancun, just to make us all jones for a vacation with our signifigant other!!!! How dare she :) Happy Wednesday and have a wonderful week.

THE Flu has Struck at Sanity Check

Yes my two little ones came down with a horrible flu this week. The nurse said it was more than likely the Swine Flu. Hacking coughing, fevers, snot and croup for my little men.

I feel so horrible for them and the hubby and I are exhausted. Having sick children in your bed 5 nights in a row will do that to a person. How can anyone sleep next to a teeth grindin, wheezing, furnace? Yes all 3 of my kids grind their teeth something fierce, especially when they're sick or exhausted. It's the worst sound EVER.

Last night the baby's croup got really bad. We were outside twice, in the shower once and we did 2 nebulizers. At 4 am his fever spiked to 103. He is now sleeping soundly with his daddy while Jaxson is coughing up a storm and trying to catch his breath. All he wants to do is go back to sleep.

I myself am praying that I don't get it. Just the kids having it is keeping me busy and I don't know how I will get anything done if I get sick. So Mimi, I promise I will get that stuff out to you as soon as everyone is healthy enough to leave the house!!!!

Friday's Food and A Girls Nite Out

A virtual girls night out that is. Ann over at Ann again and again is hosting another VGNO. Tonight's theme is "pink". She's participating in the breast cancer walk on Sunday, so stop by and give her lots of encouragement! I myself will be staying home and keeping an eye on my poor boy. He got home from school with a sore throat and a fever.......................dun dun duuuuunnnn. Nice of the preschool to notice!


So welcome to Sanity Check for a girls night out! Anyone up for a little green chili? That's whats on the menu for the evening, so grab a drink, pull up a chair and lets have some fun. I'm sticking with the mexican theme and drinking a margarita!


Green Chili


1 lb ground pork 1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
24 oz whole green chili's, pureed in blender (I used canned Hatch)
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp jalapeno, minced


Brown the pork in a pot with the olive oil, onion and garlic. When browned, add all of the spices and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and mix it in until all of the oil and fats are absorbed. Cook another 2 minutes. Add half of the chicken broth to the pot. In a blender puree the green chili's and jalapeno with the rest of the chicken broth. Add it to the pot and simmer for at least an hour on medium low. I serve it over long grain white rice and lots of cheese.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Weekend!!!!

Why is Life so Frustrating???

Hi and welcome to my pity party! I guess I'm just having one of my days and I'm frustrated with everything. Do you ever have those days? I know that's a dumb question, especially if you're a mom. I love my family more than anything and I would do anything for them, but there are days when I just cannot handle it. Day's like today for example.

Yes, I know the economy is in the toilet right now but I'm aloud to complain about it. I work part time, at a restaurant that is usually busy. And I'm not talking about last year, I'm talking about the days that I don't work......yes, I truly believe that I have a curse. I go and work my butt of like everyone else; sometimes more than the others do. I smile, I have a great personality and I like to visit with my customers. So why in the hell is it not busy when I am there? I come to work and all of the other servers will tell me how outrageously busy it was yesterday (the day that I didn't work).

Yesterday I made $25 for a lunch shift. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Today I made $38 which I can say is better but I had to take the oldest kiddo to the doctor and pay a $25 copay. For what you ask??? For them to tell me that he DOES NOT have an ear infection and it's just a little red, give him Tylenol. No shit?! Like I said, I would do anything for my kid if he's hurting but it's still frustrating to just throw my money away. I wouldn't be at all frustrated if the doctor had said he had a raging ear infection!!!

Why is it that everything I do just back fires on me? Why is it that everything costs so much damn money? When do I get to do something for myself? Oh yeah, in at least 3 years. Even though 3 years in not that far away it really is when you are feeling stuck and that's exactly what I am......STUCK. My children need me, they need me to be home for them and not in a day care being raised by a teenage stranger; I refuse to do it. I cannot find a job that I'm qualified for (since I chose not to go to college) and if I am qualified for it they pay a whopping $10/hr. How am I suppose to do anything with that kind of salary? Hence, my choice to wait tables.

I don't have a lot of bills to pay, my wonderful husband works his butt off and pays 98% of them. I pay for the home phone, the Internet, our groceries and my car payment. The biggest one being the groceries. Feeding a family of 5 can be easy and difficult at the same time! I spend approximately $120 a week or $500/month on groceries and that is the average. There are some weeks where I spend less using coupons and sales items, but not that often. I tried that whole grocery game thing but I don't know if it saves me more when I use the coupons on brand name stuff or if I just buy the generic stuff........I really don't have time to do it either. Anyway, my car payment is $230 a month and the phone/Internet is $100 a month. So what is that......$830.00/month in expenses and I make approximately $200/wk in tips and $40 a week on my paycheck equaling....about $960.00 a month, that's if I make good tips and work my max hours. If not, I have to scrimp and make partial payments, which are getting me more and more behind.

Needless to say I'm feeling very stretched thin and stuck between a rock and a hard spot. The sad thing is that I'm not the only one. I'm really praying that this economy turns around quickly and that my children get into full time school sooner than later!!!!

Thanks for listening to me bitch and moan. Have a wonderful night!

Wordful Wednesday, Good Hair Gone Bad

You know how some people keep the same hair cut and color for all eternity? Yeah, that's not me. At. All. My family and friends know that I cannot keep the same thing for more than a month. Whether it's cutting it, coloring it, or styling it different every day. It's always something.

Long story short. I highlight my own hair and it turns out pretty decent. My sweet, adoring, manly and loving husband pulls my hair through a cap (just what he wants me to blab) while we sit and watch one of our crime shows and then I slather it up with the horrible smelling bleach. Easy peasy.

Last week I bought some new product and we did our little ritual. I made sure to check it often since I had never used it before. When it started to look like it was getting really light I decided it was time to rinse and style as usual.

Here is a before photo

Here is an after photo. You decide................carrot top or blinky the clown?????? Needless to say the hubby and I had a very good laugh (cry) and then I put a hat on and went straight to the store for hair dye. I'M DONE HIGHLIGHTING MY HAIR. A PROMISE TO MYSELF!!!!

For more Wordful Wednesday posts, head over and visit with Angie at 7 Clown Circus and have a wonderful week!

Bowling Fun for The Fam

Saturday we went to a cosmic bowling birthday party. I didn't think the little ones would even have fun. I thought they would get bored with it after 3 frames, if even that! Boy was I wrong; they are addicted! Luckily they were patient enough to wait there turns without having total meltdowns. The kids had a blast and the parents had fun watching them all play horribly. Thank goodness for bumper guards and those new ball ramps for the kiddos. They definitely made it more fun for the kids.

He and Me + 3......Come on down!!!!!

A winner has been selected! The Manager from He and Me + 3 now has a few more fall decorations to add to her collection! Congrats. Send me an email with your address and I will get it sent out in the next few days.

Happy Bloggiversary!!!!

Okay, I know I said wait till Friday but I just couldnt!

It's my one year anniversary and I'm so excited and amazed that I have actually had quite a bit to share over the past year. To say thank you to my readers and future readers I'm having a contest. It's going to be simple, 1 entry for commenting and an extra entry if you blog about my contest (of course, you need to tell me that you did so). I don't have a clue about this whole Twitter thing so that's out! Good luck everyone, I'll be posting the winner on Monday, the contest is closed as of midnight Sunday.

Here is what the lucky winner will receive. Like I said, it will get you into a mood, a mood for fall!!!

1 pumpkin candle in a ceramic pumpkin jar

1 fall kitchen towel

a cute wall/door hanging

my very own pumpkin bread recipe, ready for you to bake at home

and a surprise gift, when you get it in the mail!

Please be sure I can get a hold of you via email, if it's not posted on your profile please provide one for me!

Also Ann is having her weekly VGNO and hosting a fun game! Go check her out, have a drink, comment to your hearts desire and make some new bloggy friends!