To see what we could see

We drove around the campus of Mississippi State after we had dinner even though it was already dark but we just wanted to see what we could see. (The blurry pictures are a result of having the "flash" option off...I'm sure I'm not doing something right.)








The most impressive things were the Sorority and Fraternity houses. They were also the only things we could get pictures of in the dark, since they were well lit up.









They were huge!

The lights were on at the football stadium so we were able to get a glimpse at this as well.... again.... another massive structure.

Four Foods

Time for Four Foods from Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes.

#1. Share a cupcake, muffin or cookie recipe.
I don't make cupcakes as often as cookies so I'm sharing a cookie recipe.

Thumb Cookies
½ C shortening
2 egg yolks
½ C butter
2 C flour
½ C brown sugar
½ t salt

Roll in small balls and cook 3 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and mash the center of cookies with thumb. Bake 5-6 minutes.
Filling: 2 c. powdered sugar 2 T. milk ¼ c. melted butter food coloring 1 t. vanilla Mix together and fill in thumb prints.

#2. Cupcakes, muffins and cookies require something to drink. What do you drink with them?
Milk is the best with cupcakes and cookies. But muffins, it depends on the type of muffins. Maybe a pop would be my next preference of drink.

#3. Which do you prefer, mini muffins and cupcakes or full sized ones?
Just give me full sized ones. I want a big cupcake with a big flavor... yumm.

#4. What type of muffin or cupcake pan do you use? Silicone, disposable, etc.
I use the metal pan with the non-stick surface. I would love to try the silicone type someday.

Could the drought be over?

So our last soccer game of the weekend which was on Sunday did have a happy ending. At least for our team. We won the game and actually scored 3 goals to the other team's 1. I think we all collectively felt a sigh of relief since the last few weeks have been a bit disappointing for this group of girls and their parents. We have not won a game but only managed to tie at best in the last 4 games or so. Hopefully we are back on the road of scoring goals and winning games.

And now for some pictures from that game. Here is the team getting their halftime peptalk from the coach. That's my girl in the middle on the bottom bench looking very bored interested.

And look at her here, winning that ball and defying them any chance of scoring against us. You go get 'em girlfriend! Of course, she learned this from her momma.

Wait, here she is about to step in the way of the shot that is being taken by the opposing team. That's gonna hurt. No pain, no gain... and we did the gaining on this day. The team looked great and all the girls played well that Sunday. They should be proud.

I didn't know that I signed up for this 19 years ago

It's funny how one day they are babies in your arms and then the next day they are grown and gone. Dylan left for basic training on Monday. His mood was great and we had a good morning together as we went to Walmart to buy a duffle bag and stopped by McDonalds to pick up something for breakfast. We had one last talk about how it was going to be while he was at basic training and what we both expected and didn't expect from each other.

Once we arrived at his dropoff, we hugged goodbye and I told him that I would see him in about 6 weeks. I took pictures as he made the walk to begin his journey in the Air Force and then he was gone . We drove off and started the ride back home and it seemed like everything was going to be ok. But that was just a mistake in my thinking and as I would later find out.. Ray's thinking too. Nothing is the same and life now has a different look. I'm sad and my head is in a fog. Being by myself at the house today was unbearable. I thought that keeping the tv turned up loud enough where I could hear it from any room would keep my mind focused on other thoughts. No matter what I tried, I couldn't escape the fact that I was alone in my head.

I ended up leaving the house right after 11 and going to where two of my very good friends work. I was not going home until my kids came home from school. I hung out with them during lunch and for the rest of the afternoon. Their office was closed for the week and they were doing small jobs around the office or I would not have been able to be there. As was expected, we laughed... a lot... and I was soon feeling good again.

I really have the very best friends that one could wish for and I knew that turning to them would be the answer. I will lean on them for the next few days as I wait for things to get better.

But none of my kids are ever allowed to leave us now that we know what to expect. :-)

Tag, you're it!

Michelle at The Froggy Bottom Blog tagged me in a game to name 7 weird or random facts about myself. And here its is.

Seven Weird or random facts about me:

1. My scariest dreams usually include something to do with water and plumbing. To this day, an over flowing toilet really freaks me out.

2. I had my appendix removed when I was only 3 years old.

3. My left foot is a bit pigeon-toed. I have to consciously make myself turn my foot outward when I walk.

4. One of my hobbies is genealogy. I started working on my family's history about 12 years ago, but with raising kids and such, I put it to the side about 8 years ago and plan to start on it when things slow down in my life.

5. Two of my favorite foods are tuna casserole and banana pudding.

6. I love to sing. There was a lot of singing around me when I was growing up and it's something that I've loved for as long as I can remember. I can hold a tune but I don't have a good singing voice. That doesn't stop me from wailing out a tune.

7. I'm afflicted with migraines and usually get one about once a month. Luckily, I have great meds for them and it doesn't usually interrupt my day.. .much.

Now, I will tag others.

Tanya at Desert Trivia
Angie at Garza Clan of Colorado
Donna at The Domestic Life
Vicki at Another Day Another Rambling

Saturday soccer

We drove over to OKC yesterday for Caitlin's soccer game. Her team is in a big time funk right now and cannot get that ball in the back of the net to save their life. It's bad.

On a positive note, Caitlin called the assistant coach with Mississippi State yesterday and talked to her for a few minutes while we drove back to Tulsa. She was very nice and made Caitlin laugh a few times, not sure what was funny but it was a good thing and put Caitlin at ease. We have a meeting at the admissions office when we first get there on Friday and then we will be watching their soccer game that night. From there, Caitlin will leave with the team and spend the rest of the evening with them and I'll meet them for breakfast the next morning. We are very excited about this trip and hope that it has a scholarship offer somewhere in the near future.

We go back to OKC today for another game and it needs to be better than it was yesterday... geez!

My tummy don't like it

I haven't felt especially well the last few days, something with my stomach is not feeling quite right. Other than that, I feel completely fine. I started wondering if maybe it was because Dylan was leaving on Monday. It's strange because I don't feel upset about his departure(yet!), but it is on my mind most of the time. Could this be enough to have this kind of affect?

And now, to add to my jitters, Mississippi State's assistant soccer coach has invited Caitlin to go there next weekend. She will visit the campus, check out the soccer facilities, meet the team, and watch them play a game. I'll be driving her down but I'm not sure where my involvement ends. I've heard stories where she'll spend time alone with players from the team and even possibly stay the night with them...IN A COLLEGE DORM!! She's just 16. This makes both of us a little apprehensive. We've been hoping for this opportunity but it makes us nervous to think of meeting the coaches and knowing the right things to say and ask when we get there. If all goes well, they will offer her a scholarship to play for them.

Eeeks! What do we say?... What will they say?... What do we NOT say?... Will they like her?... What shoes will I wear?

With so much happening right now and this next week, it makes me wonder if this is why my tummy is feeling flighty. Hey, maybe I'll end up losing a couple of pounds.

Look what I can do!

Mojo makes life a little more interesting around here in that way that a cat can. And look at those sweet paws with the cute little tufts of hair growing between his toes. So cute, right?

Guess what he can do with those "precious" paws? He can open my bedroom door using the door knob...which he does in the middle of the night. Not a big deal except he's the reason I wanted the door closed, to keep him out.

He jumps up on my bed, presses his nose against my face, kneads the blanket and purrrrrrs; all in an attempt to get me to pet him. Nevermind the fact that I tried to pet him earlier that day and was quickly shown that his majesty did not, in any way, want to be bothered by the likes of me.

But at 3 o'clock in the morning, he's ready for that attention that I was offering earlier. I roll over away from him and face the other way. Well, no matter! He just climbs over me, careful not to miss poking all four paws one at a time into my side. Once he's in front of me, he again makes nose to nose contact, maybe even a lick or two with that rough tongue. I lie perfectly still just to let him know that he's not going to win this game. With his efforts exhausted, he collapses against my body with all his might, snuggles up tightly and falls asleep.

I guess I could lock my door, but I'm afraid I'll wake up and find him picking the lock.

Gas prices

This is the price of gas here today.

Swweeeeeeet! It's pretty sad when you get excited about the price of gas being just under $3. How I miss the good old days when it was closer to $2.

Snuggles

She's happy and the tail is happy. Nothing better than snuggling up to a smelly shoe.

Friday's Four Foods

It's that time again. Every week, Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes gives us 4 challenge questions to answer about food. This week is no different so if you want to play, copy and paste the questions below onto your blog, give your answers and then leave a comment at the Four Foods on Friday post on Val's blog.

#1. Pasta. How do you tell when it’s done? Do you cook on medium or high?
I cook it on high and for the longest number of minutes suggested or until it looks ready to eat.

#2. Deep frying. What kind of oil do you use?
I don't do a lot of deep frying and although I shouldn't, I still use vegetable oil. But I have at times used the better choice of oils.

#3. Grilling. Do you grill on foil or directly on the grill?
We grill directly on the grill. Always have and probably always will unless we are grilling vegetables.

#4. Share a recipe that involves cooking something two different ways. Example, for lasagna you might fry the meat and bake the whole dish.
I recently made a post about making stew and had been asked to post the recipe, so it's coincidence that my stew recipe would be the answer to this question. It's not anything special or different, it's just fast and easy, as it should be.

Stew
2 pkgs stew meat (I have a large family)
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can green beans
frozen corn
1-2 cans beef broth
salt and pepper

In pan, heat cooking oil. Lightly coat stew meat in flour, salt and pepper and sear lightly. Put meat in crock pot. Peel and cut potatoes and carrots. Layer potatoes on top of meat and follow with carrots, corn and green beans. Pour in beef broth as needed to cover potatoes. Salt and pepper and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Stir, serve and enjoy.

Laughter, the best medicine

I want to thank everyone for your prayers for my dad who was admitted into the hospital last week. He is now home after 8 long days in that place, but they still don't know the exact cause of his illness. The doctors think they are getting close to a diagnoses but nothing conclusive yet.

He is feeling so much better and is improving everyday. He kept his sense of humor through this ordeal and was even making me laugh about some awkward things he was going through.

He's the reason why I have such a sunny outlook on life. What a great thing to inherit.

Air Force basic training is right around the corner

Dylan leaves for Air Force basic training soon. I retrieved a couple of boxes from the attic and started removing items from his room that we will keep in storage and items that he'll take with him once he's been stationed. Dylan sorted through his clothes and cleaned out his dresser drawers, while I packed away his trophys and awards that he received over the years.

I realized while we were working that it was a good thing that we were taking care of this now because it was a little emotional for me and if this were the last weekend before he leaves, I don't think I would be able to handle it very well.

This "clean-up" will be all done now and next weekend we won't have any large hurdles for me to deal with. He leaves a week from Monday, on the 13th of October. Just 10 short days from now, he'll be an Air Force recruit.

Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!!

O.J. Simpson found guilty! Ha!!

I can't say that I'm disappointed. Of course there will be an appeal and he'll probably get off in the next trial, but for now... hee hee. I watched some of the trial and it definitely sounded like he handled that situation like a gangster would, regardless if he was just trying to get his own stuff back. Ha, ha!

Sorry, can't help but laugh.

Mother-Daughter bonding

Here's a picture of Caitlin chillin' before her final game last weekend. We were watching the game that was being played on the same field where her game was soon to be taking place. Although we didn't win either of the games (both were a tie), the weekend turned out to be a lot better than I had anticipated. I thought it was just going to be another soccer weekend where we rush to one game, shower, eat and get ready for day two. But it was actually better because Caitlin and I were able to fit in a nice dinner at Olive Garden and then went shopping at the mall. It was a bonus that we did not fight over what clothes were cute and which were definitely NOT while shopping.

It warms the heart

It doesn't look like much here, but this was the beginning of a very delicious stew. The ingredients are layered in the crockpot and cooked for several hours. Here it sits undisturbed and unstirred but moments from now, it'll look savory and delicious. Mmmmm, I love stew during the cooler months of the year.

You made me Meme!

I saw this Meme over at Dawn's Diversions and she says to anyone that sees it to consider yourself tagged and to particpate. And so I will. After all, it has a cute title, don't you think? You can play too, if you're cool like me.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
We just made the big move to Claremore, Ok from Midland, Tx. Our neighborhood, which is out of city limits, was new so there weren't many neighbors around us and I remember it being dark and scary at night. My kids were young with my youngest being 6 months old. And I was fat, or fattish.

2. 5 Things on my To-Do List Today.
I plan to dust the furniture, make a trip to the grocery store, call a friend to have lunch, do some weight training and make dinner.

3. What snacks I enjoy.
I love peanut clusters, bit-o-honey, barbecue potato chips, powdered donuts and popcorn.

4. What would I do if I were to suddenly become a Billionaire?
Remodel our home and add a couple of extra rooms, plan for my kids to go to college anywhere they want and go shopping for clothes!!! I would do many things but I wouldn't get too crazy.

5. 3 Bad HabitsIs it awful that I can't think of any bad habits? I don't drink(only socially and rarely!!), smoke, or bite my nails. The worse thing I can come up with is that I might talk too long on the phone to my friends and family.(sorry, but I love you guys!) I'm definitely on the computer a lot... is that bad?

6. 5 Places I've lived.
I was born in Upland, California and we moved to Monahans, Tx before I was 3 years old and not for very long. Soon after we moved to Midland, Tx where I grew up. After I married, we moved to Oklahoma City, Ok and back to Midland and we now live in Claremore, Ok, just outside of Tulsa, OK, where I'm content to stay. I love the TULSA area!!

7. 5 Jobs I've had.
Famous Corndogs was my first job at the age of 15. I was employed by several retail companies, one being Waldenbooks and others that included JCPenneys and Sears. I worked in the accounting department for a couple of different places, mostly accounts payable. I now work at Lowes and I don't know if it's the job or the people that work there, but I love it!

8. 5 Things People don't Know About Me..
(1) I've had some weird "tics" that come and go without warning and stay with me for years. (2) My BFF is the only person besides myself that knows my deepest secrets. No one like her. (3) I had a job once where I dressed up like a gorilla and Kermit the Frog and delivered balloon bouquets. (4) I like to watch Family Guy. (5) I've always wanted to own a bookstore.

I want more passion

Here is only the second flower that I saw on this vine this year. My passion vine didn't bloom much this summer but I'm expecting a lot more of these flowers next year now that this plant has had time to get established. When summer returns next year, it better not disappoint me.

Four Foods "from" Friday

It's another week of Four Foods provided by Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes. This is the same thing that we've all seen our kids do on MySpace where they answer the many questions about themselves and then share it with all their friends in a bulletin. The only difference here is that there are fewer questions and it always involves food. Join in and share!

#1. Turnips. Love em or leave em?
Leave 'em. I've tried them and they didn't leave me yearning for more.

#2. What’s your favorite roasted dish?
Any vegetables that are roasted will work. And while we are talking roasted... roast and potatoes is my favorite.

#3. Salsa. What kind do you like?
The salsa from a mexican restaurant in Midland, called Jorge's. It's the best, but when I can't have that then I want to make it homemade because it's the closest thing to Jorge's salsa.

#4. Share directions on how to make your favorite quick meal, meaning start to finish in about 30 minutes or less.

Pinto Beans and Sausage
1 lb pinto beans
salt, handful
1 lb german sausage
1 T worcestorshire
1 bell pepper
1 can whole tomatoes (cut up)
1 onion (chopped)
onion powder

Cook beans per directions.(I've made them from dry and from a can, both are good) Add all other ingredients. Cover and let the mixture lightly boil until it starts to thicken. Serve with rice.

It's official

The summer is over and so are the pool activities. We winterized the pool and covered it for the winter. I can't wait until next summer.

Broken

I got in my car to run a few errands today and my car wouldn't start. This was the same thing that happened 6 weeks ago so we already knew that the problem was the starter. Thank goodness this didn't happen a day later because I'll be in Dallas on Saturday.








I called Ray and he took the rest of the day off from work to get it fixed. Not only did Ray pick up a new starter at the auto parts store, but he also got a few other items that, hopefully, he'll use more than just this one time.









I'm just happy to have my car fixed again.

Preoccupied

I haven't exactly had blogging on my mind this week because my dad came down with a serious illness and was admitted into the hospital. Doctors still don't know what this is or what has caused it but he was feeling better yesterday and it was probably due to the fact that it was the first day he didn't have a fever.

I'm in awe of him as a patient. As sick as he's been this week, he's been so kind to the nurses and doesn't have anything bad to say about the hospital or staff. We've had other family members in the hospital before and they were huge complainers and just bad patients wanting all of their demands met. This man is a gentle giant and I'm hoping for him to get much better, very soon.

Make it stop

For the past two weeks Hayden has been looking up magic tricks on the internet. We have endured trick after trick after trick. Some of it has been funny and some of it has been awkward. It's awkward when you see that he slipped the coin in his pocket and then he practically dares you to guess where it went.

He has this one trick where he distracts you with a pen while hiding the coin in a pocket and everytime I'm amazed at the pen. The pen is not the "magic" part of the trick, it's the coin he's making disappear. He gets the pen behind his ear so fast that I'm mesmerized by the fact that I never see how he does it. And even though the coin has now disappeared while I was watching that stupid pen, I'm only in awe of the pen.

Kakuro

I'm addicted to these puzzles. In some books it's called Cross Sums. It makes Sudoku seem boring since it's a bit more challenging.

It's got to be good exercise for the ol' brain so hopefully it's doing me some good so that I have a good excuse to sit around working on puzzles.

Update to the school situation

I want to thank all of you who were nice to leave comments and supportive thoughts about the teacher that disciplined Caitlin for not saying the "Pledge of Allegiance". We had our meeting with the principal, Mr. Hocutt, on Monday and told him that Caitlin was no longer comfortable in that classroom after the teacher's behavior towards her and that we wanted her removed from that class. He explained that they don't like to make adjustments to the schedule this late in the semester and he would need to talk to the other principals and her counselor and hopefully get back to us before Wednesday.

So everyday, we called the school to have her checked out of that class, while waiting to hear from Mr. Hocutt. We never heard anything so we instructed her to go see the counselor and see if anything has been done. We are happy to say that she has been moved to another class. As for that teacher, I'm sure nothing has been said to her on our behalf, even though we asked that she be told how that we didn't appreciate hearing from our daughter that we weren't doing a good job at home.

A day after our meeting, another girl abruptly left her classroom and was also given in-house detention. Maybe after a few more incidents like that, the school administration will wise up.

I Heart Blogging

I received this very special award today from Dawn @ Dawn's Diversions. She is a fellow blogger who also lives in my neck of the woods. I'm very grateful to her for this and I've enjoyed reading her blog and being connected to her in this way. She brought up a good point on her blog about us bloggers and it was that we love to get your comments. This could not be truer because it's what brings us bloggers together where we support each other in the happenings of our everyday life. And those of you who aren't bloggers, but enjoy reading them... leave a comment and let us know you're out there. We love to hear from you. When you get a moment, go check out Dawn's blog. As a recipient of this award, there are rules to follow. I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others! The questions are as follows:

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Where is your significant other? Couch
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? Hopeless
5. Your father? Humorous
6. Your favorite thing? Kids
7. Your dream last night? Forgetable
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. The room you're in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? puzzles
11. Your fear? Loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? wealthier
13. Where were you last night? Tulsa
14. What you're not? Liar
15. One of your wish-list items? kitchen
16. Where you grew up? Texas
17. The last thing you did? phone
18. What are you wearing? jeans
19. Your TV? lightweight
20. Your pet? Mojo
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your mood? happy
23. Missing someone? sister
24. Your car? Expedition
25. Something you're not wearing? pajamas
26. Favorite store? Kohls
27. Your summer? quick
28. Love someone? children
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? everyday
31. Last time you cried? movie

The seven bloggers that I'm nominating:

1. Desert Trivia
2. Chickens in the Road
3. The Hunter's Wife
4. Garza Clan of Colorado
5. The Domestic Life
6. When I'm Thin
7. The Crooked Curve

Now, for you recipients of this award, here's the deal:
* Display your award.
* Link back to the person who gave you the award.
* Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
* Put links to those blogs on yours.
* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.
* Enjoy your award!

Aches, pains and other issues

I've been taking celebrex the last three days to see if it would help the pain that I've been feeling in my arms since last November. My arms are actually feeling better so that might be a sign that the pain is due to inflammation. Of course, I really can't say for sure after only 3 days. I must be doing something that's causing the flare up. Hope it's not due to my computer. Annnywhooo, I'm seeing another doctor on Friday that might be more equipped for this type of problem and I'll know more about what is "going down" (in my gangster voice).

Ray went to the doctor today and had a surprise prostate exam. He called me after his appointment and I laughed while he told me about his experience. This blog is not the place to share all of the things he said, but one thing he did express is that he would not make a good gay guy. :-)

This is what the rain brings

This was so fascinating to me. After our 4" of rain on Saturday, the low spot on our driveway had water sitting on it and as I was walking by I spot a few pink balls of what looked to be lint or some sort of fabric. I stopped to get a closer look and discovered that it wasn't lint at all. It was balls of tiny worms. Now, I know this looks disgusting, but isn't it strange and yet amazingly interesting? Ray said the worms were in a mating ball or was it a mating wad?.. I don't know but I'm sure he knew what he was talking about.


And just to make things more interesting, I'm including a video so that you can see them in action along with the snails that were also in mass attendance.

Four Foods

It's time for Four Foods on Friday. Wanna play? Copy and paste and visit Fun, Crafts, and Recipes. Super easy.

#1. Share a recipe for something Italian.

Spaghetti Pie
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs – well beat
1 cup cottage cheese
1 t oregano
6 oz Spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1-8 oz Tomatoes cut up
½ cup chopped onion
1-6oz Tomato paste
½ t garlic salt
2 T butter
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 t sugar
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Cook spaghetti and drain. Stir in butter, parmesan cheese and eggs. Pour in 10" pie pan and form into crust. Spread cottage cheese over crust. Fix ground beef with onions and peppers. Drain; Stir in undrained tomatoes, paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt. Heat it through. Spread meat mixture over cottage cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake 10 - 15minutes.

#2. Jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, fruit butter or butter. What’s on your toast or bread?
I usually have preserves on my toast. Strawberry if it's available, apricot if I'm in the mood for it and grape when nothing else sounds better.

#3. What’s your favorite Kellogg’s product? (Since they’re multinational I’m hoping everyone can answer this one. If you don’t have Kellogg’s products, what’s your favorite cold breakfast cereal?)
I think Kellogg's Poptarts are pretty spiffy. A grab and go snack when you don't have time for anything else.

#4. Do you like liver? What about liverwurst?
Ewww. Eeeek... why would anyone want to eat an organ?

You are cleared to land

We were awaken to a 6:00am phone call this morning from our neighbor. He was walking out to the street to get his newspaper and discovered that our gas meter had been hit and was spewing out gas. I immediately called the gas company and we all walked outside to make sense of what had happened. The sound of the spewing gas was loud and could be heard as soon as we opened the door to go outside. Because it was still very dark, we had to use flashlights and we were able to see tire tracks in the yard leading to the gas meter where someone had apparently backed into it, while trying to get out of our driveway.

Our driveway is about 60 yards long and not very wide. An experienced driver would have trouble backing out of our driveway... in the dark...while peering through a tinted window. We've witnessed this struggle with the teens that have visited our house and then try to leave the same way they came up the drive. Without a doubt, it gave someone a heck of a time last night in the pouring rain.

So we decided that the driveway is too treacherous and we need to take some measures to help make our driveway more visible for us and our guest. Say hello to our new solar lights. I'll will now be addressing our driveway as "runway 1".

When a day starts out uneventful, watch out.

She looks harmless, but she's capable of making lemons out of lemonade.

Freedom of "no speech"?

This has been a bad week where my kids are concerned. Two of them got In House detention this week. One offense went to Hayden for tapping his pencil on the leg of a chair of a classmate (those are the principal's words) and the teacher sent him to the office for bullying where he was told he got detention for 3 days. What can a parent say? If he's annoying another student, then there are consequences. We've never had this happen and have always been told that our kids are well behaved, sweet and just really great kids. The prinicipal even said that he knew this was not like Hayden at all.

The other offender was Caitlin who after standing up and putting her hand across her heart for the pledge of allegiance, was reprimanded because she didn't recite the words. Caitlin got upset and left the classroom. And before you ask, no we are not communist!! She just didn't say the pledge at this particular time just like I've probably done on occasion. Her teacher then told her that her parents must not be teaching her very good values at home and said that she was not a good citizen.

I've never heard anyone speak of teaching their children the pledge of allegiance at home. We have never taught our kids to disrespect our country or the flag. The pledge of allegiance was taught to me at school and this is where my children have learned the pledge. The fact that this teacher decided to reprimand her in front of the class is just ridiculous. I can understand if she was talking during or being disruptive but this wasn't the case. We always stand facing the flag when being instructed and recite the pledge most of the time, but if for some reason, we don't, it doesn't mean that we are any less respectful of our country. Maybe we are just thinking of the words or listening to how it sounds as the others around us make the pledge.

We are seeing the principal over the pledge of allegiance matter. No matter what happened, a teacher should not be insulting a student or their parents, especially over a matter that was not done with any kind of ill-intent.

Completely content

She had her nose up in the air, moving her head around and around, sniffing the air that blew in through the open window. I just happened to catch this picture as she looked in my direction.

Four Foods

Ready, set, play! Time again for the four foods questions from Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes.

#1. Egg salad or deviled eggs. How do you prepare?
I make deviled eggs more often than the other. We like ours good and tart so I use plenty of mustard and top with paprika. This is one food item that my kids love!

#2. French fries. Do you make homemade or frozen?
Homemade fried potatoes are the best, but since my kids like to have them often, I buy frozen for convenience.

#3. Gravy. What do you use - homemade, jar, can or from a package?
When I'm cooking a meal that needs gravy, I make it homemade. White gravy with chicken fried steak, brown gravy with roast, whatever I might conjure up. I've also used Swanees packaged white gravy for a quick breakfast with canned bisguits, but I like to fry up a little sausage to add to the gravy for flavor. I love gravy!

#4. Share a recipe for a hot (temperature, not spice) dish.

Tuna Casserole
2 - 12 oz cans tuna
1 can cream of mushroom
8 oz Macaroni, cooked
½ cup milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix ingredients and pour into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with potato chips. Cook at 375 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Changes with the fire department

Look at the new white firetruck that the Claremore fire department has now. The old ones were red, like the one sitting behind it. I'm not really sure if it's actually new or just a new paint job but I do like it. But then I'm one who likes change. I had noticed that on the north side of town, a new fire station was being built with 4 garages. That's twice as much room for fire trucks than the stations currently occupy.

I also wondered if that stripe on the side that looks like a "Z" was done on purpose. You know, with us being the Claremore Zebras and all. I'm going to say "yes".

Awe-struck

I left the house Friday morning to take the kids to school and on my way back to the house, I came over a hill and found this view in front of me. At first I thought something had caught fire and this was smoke. I realized quickly that it was a fog that was covering my neighborhood.

Normally when we have fog in the area, we are engulfed in it until it rises. It was strange to be on the outside looking at it from top to bottom, and side to side. It looked just like a cloud that had fell to the ground. As I approached, the edges were less defined and it took on that normal "fog look".

He looks good in blue

Cody has started playing soccer on a competitive team here in Claremore. He's the one in the blue uniform. :-)

This team is the perfect fit for us because it fits our budget, is not too time consuming, and gives Cody a little better soccer training than a recreational team would offer.

My baby is growing up.

Four Foods

Val over at Fun, Crafts and Recipes doesn't have a theme for her food questions this week so it's a hodgepodge of different foods. Visit her blog if you want to copy and paste the questions and play Four Foods on Friday. She post the questions every Friday. Let's play!!

#1. Artichokes. Love em or leave em?
I've never had them but would love to try them sometime. I'm very curious about this strange vegetable.

#2. What’s your favorite kind of bean?
Pinto beans are the best. A bowl of beans with cornbread and fried potatoes is one of the most perfect meals. Mmmm.

#3. Share a recipe for any kind of cake.
It's not really a cake-cake, but the name implies that it is just that.

Banana Split Cake
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 sticks oleo
2 c. powdered sugar
3 bananas
1 jar marachino cherries, small jar; drained, halved
8 oz Cool Whip
1 small package pecans, chopped
chocolate syrup
2 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple in juice; drained

Melt 1 stick oleo and mix with crumbs in a 9X13 pan. Press in bottom of pan. Beat eggs, sugar and 1 stick oleo for 10 minutes and pour over crust. Put pineapple over egg mixture. Slice bananas on top of pineapple. Pour chocolate syrup on top and cover with cool whip then chopped pecans and cherries. Chill

#4. What’s your favorite dairy product?
Ice cream is quite lovely. Did that sound british? Anyway, I love many flavors of ice cream but since I recently found out that it's high in cholesterol... it's on my "once in a blue moon" list.

Sonic

She's working at Sonic now. Apparently, she was ready for a change and I can't blame her.

Her timing is perfect, don't you think? I mean with Fall closing in and Winter following right behind, those cold temperatures must feel great to those car hoppers with that arctic air taking your breath away everytime they step outside. We warned her about the weather, but you know teenagers, once they get their mind made up about something there is no changing it. I hope she enjoys it at Sonic and has a good time while she's working.

Four Foods

It's been awhile since I played Four Foods on Friday so I'm trying to get back into the circuit. This week's topic is potatoes. Play along if you like by visiting Fun, Crafts and Recipes.

#1. Potato Chips. What kind of chips are your favorite?
I love barbecue potato chips with whatever is my favorite pop at the time. I can remember way back when I was 18 and living in my first apartment, ending my day with these delicious chips and a bubbly coca-cola. I can't do that anymore... too much fat and cholesterol.

#2. What’s your favorite thing to dip chips in?
All dips are great and it's hard to pick a favorite, but the very best is probably a ranch dip. Personally, I'd rather have tortilla chips and salsa.

#3. What’s your favorite way to eat a baked potato?
With all the toppings!! Butter, sour cream, cheese, chives and even some bacon bits if you've got 'em.

#4. How do you make mashed potatoes?
Even though my mother's mashed potatoes are very delicious, I've always kept mine as low fat as possible by adding only skim milk, salt and pepper. They've always been incredibly delicious and I've never missed adding butter or any other fattening ingredient.

Shelf work

I got a little distracted today on my day off from work, so it turned into a day of work at home. I reorganized my oversize pantry.

I hate this pantry because the shelves are too deep for food storage on one side. I'm making better use of that space by storing my cookware and other large items that I had in a bottom cabinet, where they were previously very hard to reach. This is a work in progress since I now have some empty cabinet space. I hope to put my Tupperware and plastic storage containers at an eye level area so that I'm not on my hands and knees digging stuff out that I need. I'm not finished but I think this is a good start.

Sir, do you have ANY manners??

While on my lunch hour from work, I took my car to get a hole in one of the tires fixed where a piece of metal had wedged itself into the rubber and allowed air to seep out ever so slowly, but enough to be a problem. Instead of waiting while they worked on it, I walked next door to grab a bite to eat at Arby's. I had to dine in since the drive through option was no longer an option with my car waiting its turn to be repaired. I'm not a big fan of dining in at fast food restaurants because they aren't especially clean and there is just something about it that makes me lose my appetite. But what choice did I have this time?

So as I begin to enjoy my curly fries and Arby's roast beef sandwich, I hear someone blowing their nose. I look up to see a man across the room with his napkin or maybe a hanky (please don't let it be a hanky!) pulled up around his face blowing away. I'm fully disgusted that this "person" has no regard for the other customers and myself who are trying to enjoy their lunch while he makes disgusting noises and digs at his nose. I don't use the word "dig" loosely. This was the work of an artist. I knew this after watching him work that napkin wrapped finger around and around every inch of that nostril, poking, pushing and jamming for the longest time I've every witnessed this task. Not something that I like to witness but if I see anyone doing anything in public that's disrespectful, I like to give them the attention they seem to be begging for, so I stare and make faces.

It was a horrible thing to see and I had to look away when he repeated the same actions with the other side of his nose. This was his Olympic event and he was going for gold!

Exercise for the brain

I'm still here. I've just been getting the kids to school and adjusting to my work schedule. On my days off, I'm getting the laundry caught up and a few other things around the house. I'm also staying a bit secluded these days. It's something that happens to me when I'm on a diet, kind of like hibernating. I'll come out of it in another month or six weeks.

I've been working on logic puzzles, crosswords, and other similiar type puzzles lately. It gives my mind something else to do besides watching tv. Not to mention it keeps me occupied and out of the kitchen looking for a snack.

I have a big decision to make soon. Dylan graduates from the Air Force during the same weekend that Caitlin is suppose to be gone to a tournament. We can't really afford both trips and I don't want to miss his graduation ceremony. The soccer tournament is not anything special except for the location... sunny California. I wish I knew how important of an event that the Air Force graduation will be. I don't want Dylan to be the only one who doesn't have his parents there to support him and Ray has no interest in attending, if you can believe that. The question of the day is what do I do?

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program

The past week or so has been all about working and getting the kids ready for the first day of school. My part time job has so far been me working everyday for the training part of my job and when you have to be there at 6:00 in the morning... it's very tiring. I want to get this part over with and get to my regular schedule of just two days a week. I'll learn the job much better when they leave me on my own. As far as the kids starting school, I'm a little bummed that I won't be taking them on their first day.

I found out yesterday that Dylan leaves for boot camp on October 13th. If he graduates 6-7 weeks later, then that is going to conflict with a soccer tournament that Caitlin is suppose to be attending. She may not go since we will all be going to Dylan's Air Force graduation.

My life does not consist of a firm schedule of events right now and I like to know where I'm going.

All these words are so confusing

Here is a conversation between Ray and Hayden while driving home from soccer practice.

Hayden: How do you spell ammonia?
Ray: a-m-m-o-n-i-a.

Hayden begins texting to one of his friends.

Ray: Why do you want to know how to spell that?
Hayden: I'm telling one of my friends that Bernie Mac died.

I'm not making fun of this sad situation, but it's funny how kids can be so mistaken sometimes. Of course it's sad that Bernie Mac died of pneumonia today. My kids knew of him and enjoyed his character in his last sitcom, "The Bernie Mac Show".

Strong views

Cody comes in my room and announces, "I'm voting for McCain". The funny thing about this statement is that he's 10 years old. Apparently he saw an ad on tv that said Obama is going to raise taxes and stop the war. I'm guessing those are things that Cody is against. I didn't inform him that he doesn't have a vote.. at least not this time.

Breaking Dawn

The fourth and last book in the Twilight series is out and I can't wait to read it. Caitlin is almost finished with Breaking Dawn and then I'll be getting to read what I hear is the best book in the entire collection. I can't wait!!

I heard last week that the sales of her books were breaking records and have or will have out sold the Harry Potter books soon. I've not heard one person who has read them, say they didn't love it.

Sharp as a Tack or Dumb as Dirt?

I started my training at Lowes today. The part where we had to watch a video on safety... yeah that was boring. Well most of it was boring but not in a way that I was miserable. It was actually a pretty good day. So far the people that I'm "in training" with and the people that I've met or interviewed with have been very nice. I'm afraid to let myself think that this is going to be great because I haven't even started doing the job that I'll be doing. So I'm hoping it will all work out and be all good.

I worry that this old dog (43 years) is not going to be as sharp as I was when I was younger, starting a new job. I always caught onto things real quick. What if it's not like that this time? Eek! I shudder to think.

Four Foods

This week's Four Foods on Friday is about travel and vacationing. Play along at Fun, Crafts and Recipes.

#1. If you could travel anywhere to have a meal, where would you want to go and what would you want to eat.
Since pastas are my all time favorite food, I would have to say that I would go to Italy... pasta capital of the world. :-)

#2. When you go away do you make your own meals or eat out?
Any time that we travel it's because of soccer, so we pack light and eat out.

#3. While traveling if you have to stop for a meal do you go in or do you go through the drive thru and eat in the car?
We eat in the car because it gives us something to do to pass the time during our long drives and we get to our destination quicker.

#4. Share a recipe or food related tip for people making a long trip by car.
I usually buy snacks and drinks to take with us in the car and it lessens the stops during the trip. Except for those potty breaks due to the drinks.

I Dare You NOT to love this.

He'll be paying me back to get it fixed

This is what happens when one of your children has a temper and gets mad while hitting the tennis ball against the wall in the garage. He couldn't get the tennis ball to do what he wanted so he hit it so hard that it ricocheted off the wall and into my side mirror on my car.

Will work for gas!

I've been going on job interviews this past week and I've been asked more questions than I ever expected to answer. Everything from how I would handle certain situations and what qualities do I possess to make me a good employee. You have to downright brag on yourself and that feels a bit awkward.

So I guess I did a pretty good job of bragging because two interviews went really well and this past weekend I've been trying to decide which job I would be more interested in doing day in and day out. The decision was made today when I went on my second interview with Lowes. I liked the position they offered me enough to accept it right then and there and had my drug screening shortly after. I only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and when I can on the weekends. Plus, who wouldn't want a job where you can wear blue jeans, sneakers and t-shirts. Not that I ever wear tshirts, but if I wanted to, I could. I'll be working in the cash office preparing the money for the registers and balancing the register drawers when they come back in. I think I can handle that for 2 days out of the week. I'll also work some weekend hours when I'm not shuffling kids to soccer games.

For now, it sounds good and hopefully I enjoy it.

Recluse

I'm in a funk these days and that's why I haven't posted in the last few. Probably has a lot to do with being on a diet. Everytime I've ever been on a serious diet, I always seem to go into this zone where my mind and body become reclusive for a bit. I'll try to do better and post about the "going ons" soon.

Dear Lord,.... help!!

It's hot here in Oklahoma this week with temperatures nearing 100 if not actually reaching those temps somewhere in the area. What is it that usually happens during a heatwave like this where the forecast calls for a hot, blistering day with humidity levels high and never when the temperatures are a bit cooler and bearable? The air conditioner stops working.

I called the repairman only to be told that he could come out next Tuesday and would I like for him to go ahead and schedule me in. WHAT??!! Tuesday??!! I'll die by that time. Let me think about it.... uuuuhh.. NO... thank you.

So I made a call to the second repairman on the list, was teased about my Texas accent and told he would have to charge me extra just for that, and given suggestions on what to do until he could get here... which is luckily this afternoon. Thank you!! I love you.

Got 'er done

15 minutes on the elliptical machine today! And that's BIG!...For me anyway.

Low Cholesterol Foods

Here I go... talking about cholesterol again. I want to share this website that I found on what kinds of food to eat to lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy diet. I found it to be extremely helpful and I liked the way it was organized. Just fyi.

Nutrition: How to Make Healthier Food Choices

She Doctor

Did I mention that I had my annual doctor appointment last week? I'm sure I would have mentioned it if it hadn't been for the fact that I had guests last week and I was too busy to blog. Anyway, I checked out ok and received the results from my blood work in the mail today. I already knew what it said since the nurse called me last Thursday to inform me that my cholesterol was high and I needed to work on getting it lowered. That meant exercising more and watching what I eat. My number was 242. The good news was that my HDL (good cholesterol) was high and for the first time in years, I wasn't anemic.

So now I'm trying to make sure that I'm not eating foods high in cholesterol. So far, I've been making better choices but I'm sure I'll slip up at some point. At least I'm trying.

Four Foods

This is coming quickly after the last one because I was late posting last week's food subject. Anyone who blogs can join in the fun and share food facts with your readers. This week's topic is about baking.

#1. When you need to serve desserts, do you buy them or make them?
If I need a pie, I buy it and I make most other desserts. Like the Strawberry Heaven that I made when my sister was in town... yumm.

#2. When baking do you use butter, margarine or something else?
I tend to use margarine but lately I've been purchasing butter to use occasionally.

#3. What meats or veggies do you cook in the oven?
I cook pork chops and potatoes in the oven because the chops are tender and the potatoes are perfectly delicious.

#4. Share a recipe for anything that is cooked in an oven.

Pork Chops and Potato Casserole
Cooking oil
flour
1 large Onion
5 or 6 potatoes
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
6 pork chops
1 can cr. of celery soup
butter
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper chops; flour and brown in oil. Set aside. Thinly slice onion and potatoes (scalloped) and put in baking dish. Add salt and pepper, both cans of soup and toss to evenly coat onion and potatoes. Add about 6 or 7 pats of butter and place browned chops on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

Texas Kinfolk

It's what we look forward to most, Tanya and her family visiting us during the summer and we look forward to it more than any other event in the year. The first thing that is usually planned is the menu. I made roast the first day so that all the work was done before they arrived. And as usual we also made several trips to the store to pick up ingredients for other snacks. I made a strawberry dessert that we later renamed "Strawberry Heaven" because Bailey kept saying that it looked and tasted like heaven. Tanya made some delicious quacamole that we enjoyed... frequently.






On Tuesday, we made a trip into Tulsa and did some shopping at the mall. After we had shopped the stores on the first level of the mall, we took a break and headed over to Olive Garden for lunch. We then went back to the mall to tackle the second level. We headed home with a pretty good start on school clothes.













Caitlin and Bailey slept on the trampoline one night and I'm not sure what went on out there but I bet it left our neighbors curious.











What day did we go bowling?.... I'm not sure. But we all enjoyed the bowling and Hayden and Cody didn't want it to end. Maybe next time we'll play an extra game.











Somewhere in our week, we managed to fit in some pool time. The kids swam on and off through the week and my friend, Leslie, came over and joined me and Tanya for a dip in the pool.

And what would our visit be without popcorn and a movie? So we headed over to the local theatre where Tanya and I, Bailey, Caitlin, Hayden and Cody saw "Hancock".

And like all good things that come to an end, so did our week. We look forward to the next time that we get to see them and hopefully Alan will be there too.

Four Foods

This week's Four Foods is about what your nose knows. Visit Fun, Crafts and Recipes if you'd like to participate.

#1. Fruits and veggies. Do you prefer them peeled or not?
I can handle my fruits and veggies with the peel still on them.. I'm tough like that.

#2. What’s your favorite fresh fruit or vegetable smell?
I love the smell of strawberries and I have a strawberry candle to prove it.

#3. What’s the worst food smell you’ve ever smelled?
Broccoli can get pretty stinky and I won't say what it smells like because that's just awkward.

#4. Share the recipe for the dish that you love to smell cooking in your oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 C. butter
2 t. soda
2 C. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 t. salt
4 eggs
1 – 8oz. Hershey bar, grated
2 t. vanilla
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 C. flour
3 C. chopped walnuts
5 C. oatmeal, blended to fine powder (optional)

Mix all ingredients and roll into balls. Place 2" apart. Bake 10 minutes @ 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Visitors

I haven't posted the past few days because I have company this week. Tanya and Bailey are here and we've been shopping and enjoying the pool. I'll post some pictures soon.

Clouds of Blue

There was a lot of wind and rain that came with this storm, but before all of that... aren't the clouds beautiful? I love when they roll in like this, but I don't like the lightning that comes with it.

Princess and the Pea

Our mattresses were delivered last Saturday and everyone was happy, except for one little thing, mine was too tall. The mattress was so high that we were jumping, climbing, lurching, and dragging ourselves up on it in every way we could manage. A relaxing evening of slumber only began after this aerobic warmup. On Monday morning I called the store and asked them to bring me a low profile boxspring. I had this option offered to me at the store, but not knowing just how high this bed was going to be, I opted for the regular boxspring. I was so sick of mattress shopping that I wanted to get the heck out of Dodge and go home, so I didn't put much thought into this offer.

The low boxsprings made all the difference and bedtime is what it should be from beginning to end... relaxing.

And as for the reason that I bought a new bed, I'm a side sleeper and I was having terrible arm pains that would wake me up during the night. And throughout the day, it was a strain to lift my right arm. At first I thought I had strained a muscle in my arm when cleaning the pool last Fall, but when it never improved, I became concerned.

Now I don't want to jinx anything, but the last three nights I have had no pain and my arm is feeling better everyday. I'm not saying it's the bed yet, but I'm a bit perplexed by this sudden change.

Rude!

I went to Bunko last night and became a little miffed when I got there because we had a person there substituting for another player who also decided this was going to be an opportunity for her to have a home and garden party. She passed out catalogs for us to look at and I placed mine on a table and got something to eat instead. I think we should have been told that this Bunko night was going to include a sales pitch whether it be Tupperware, Home and Garden or the Pampered Chef. Maybe it was just me, but I was a bit surprised by this ambush.

Four Foods

This week's topic is about parties. If you want to particpate, visit Four Foods on Friday.

#1. Cake. Buttercream, whipped cream or ice cream?
Buttecream is divine, but the whole cake experience is better with ice cream.

#2. When entertaining do you use real, paper, plastic or styrofoam dishes?
My type of entertaining is usually very casual so we use paper, but a good quality like Dixie.

#3. When hosting a party do you cook, have it catered or go to a restaurant?
If I were hosting a party, and I don't do this often, I would prepare the meal myself.

#4. Share a recipe that you frequently serve when having a party.

Crab Dip
2 pkg Cream cheese (8 oz)
1 T. Tony Chachere's Creole
1 T worcestorshire
3/4 C ketchup
1/4 C horseradish (prepared)
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. worcestorshire
crab meat (fancy white)

Mix together: cream cheese, tony's creole and worcestorshire.
Blend together: ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, worcestorshire sauce, Fancy white crab meat.
Spread cream cheese mixture onto platter. Lay ketchup mixture on top and sprinkle with crab meat. Serve with Town House crackers.

No bath for me, thank you.

Isn't she adorable? Ray gave all the pets a bath, one by one. She found a place to hide so that she wouldn't have to take a bath, and while she was hiding, she fell asleep.

Life of the Stay At Home Mom

Wow! What a day I had. Ever have one of those days when you know what you are going to do but then the next thing you know, you find yourself taking on some big project that takes up more time than you expect? Yea, that was me when I was cleaning the kitchen this morning. While wiping off the stovetop, I saw how dirty the aluminum burner bowls were and put them in the sink for a soak and a scrub real quick. Once I had removed these bowls out from under the burners I then chose to clean under the burners, where spills sometime happen. This was all well and good until I noticed some gook on the side of the stove. So what started off as wiping off the stovetop evolved into pulling the stove out from the wall and scrubbing it up and down both sides and cleaning the floor. Two hours of unplanned, back breaking work.

I still had to complete the things on my agenda for this Monday, like calling the furniture store to switch out my boxsprings this week. Next I was making a dentist appointment for Cody, teaching the boys how to fold their own towels, taking the dogs to the vet for their allergy shots, picking up frontline for all the animals and doing 4 loads of laundry. I also managed to work in a couple of phone calls from Tanya and Daddy because there is always time for visiting on the phone.

I'm not sure how I found the motivation but the next thing I found myself doing was cleaning out my refrigerator and you know what kind of job that is. Every drawer and shelf was pulled out and washed and old items were thrown in the trash. Two hours later and I was standing at the fridge, admiring my hard work. Cleaning the fridge was on my "to do" list because Tanya and Bailey are coming next week and I couldn't have a dirty refrigerator.

I did find time to take a shower today and I'm exhausted to say the least. And you know what the worst part is... I don't get paid.

Behind closed doors

This time every year Ray ends up giving our cats a bath. Poor Abby. She never enjoys bathtime and she was going to let everyone know just how much.

After her horrible ordeal, she retreated to safety.... and to pout.

Fourth Festivities

We started celebrating the fourth by having a midday feast of ribeye, sides of vegetables and garlic toast, all prepared by Ray. Then there was swimming and later that evening the boys had fun lighting fireworks. We then retreated to the firepit area and roasted marshmallows. Hayden did not enjoy the roasted marshmallows and Cody could take it or leave it. What is wrong with these children? We never did get the wood burning because we were out of lighter fluid so we roasted marshmallows over the kindling that we were able to get lit. That kindling being a couple of paper sacks. Mmmmm.

I was gone most of the morning to shop for new mattresses for the boys' beds since most stores were having sales. The boys were sleeping on mattresses that were only good for small children and since those mattresses are now over 15 years old, it was time to upgrade. Ray and I also purchased a new set for our room because our mattress sags in the center and even has a hump in the space between us that doesn't see much use. I've tried sleeping on that hump to even things out but it would take years to work it down. I'm anxious to try out this new bed with memory foam on the top layer to see if it alleviates some of my aches in the morning.

I'll be washing sheets and making beds today after the mattresses are delivered. This will be the one time that I can't wait to wash bedding and make beds.

Spa day for the girls

Our schnauzers had an appointment at the groomers today. Their hair has been getting matted because they have allergies and they lick to soothe their skin. So I had the groomer remove the longer hair, called skirts, that grows along their sides and leave only their beards. This style keeps them cool and makes life simpler for us all.

Not the traditional schnauzer cut, but they look pretty better all the same. Although, Brandi doesn't look happy about it at all. She's not exactly our foo-foo girl.

Four Foods

Fun, Crafts and Recipes has made "me" the focus this week. Ok, maybe not just me, but all cooks in the kitchen that particpate in Four Foods on Friday.

#1. Name your biggest cooking influence.
I would have to say my mom and step-dad. They are both great cooks and although I do some things healthier, I want my food to taste just as good as they make. Especially the chicken fried steak and gravy. So delicious.

#2. What is your ultimate comfort food?
All food is a comfort to me, but pasta is my favorite.

#3. Name one must have tool that you think every kitchen should have.
A really good knife. A sharp knife makes the cooking process more enjoyable. And that's coming from someone who does not love to cook.

#4. Share a time saving tip.
This is probably more of a time saving tool. Get a kitchen chopper for chopping up onions, peppers, etc. It's a great tool and much faster. I almost listed it as a must have for the kitchen.

Why are they called "wisdom" teeth?

I'm taking my daughter to an oral surgeon today to have her wisdom teeth removed. That will probably consume most of my day with the trip to the pharmacy afterwards and then a stop for something to put in her stomach. I'll then head to the grocery store to pick up the types of items that she can eat for the next few days. I told her I was going to video tape her behavior after the procedure to use as blackmail when needed. Just passing that along to all of you other moms because we need to stick together.

Diving In

The fun thing to do in the pool these days seems to be working on diving form. Swim masks are a must for these swimmers.

Here are some shots from two different days. It's uninteresting, but it's all I've got in me to post.

Bicycling Family

Have you been reading a fellow blogger's site called "A Wayward Journey"? I started reading her blog a few months back as they were cleaning, painting and packing up their house to make preparations for their family to make a journey on bicycles from Alaska to Argentina that would take them 2 1/2 years. Over two years on bicycles!!

Well, they are in the midst of their journey, where they started in Prudhoe Bay and it has been so interesting to hear what they encounter and how well their young boys are handling this task. So, far they've faced rain, hail, mosquitos and a couple of other snags but something or someone always comes through to help this family out. Check out this adventure at A Wayward Journey .

Four Foods

I've been out of touch with Four Foods for the past two weeks. So I'm happy to be getting back to it. Visit Val's site for many, many recipes and to play Four Foods on Friday.

#1. Name one cookbook, cooking website or food blog that you frequently use.
I have become a big fan of Pioneer Woman's cooking blog. Her pictures are a great and the recipes that I've tried have been very delicious.

#2. Do you watch any cooking shows on tv? Which ones?
I still love Barefoot Contessa because watching her show has a relaxing quality to it. And even though Paula's accent gets on my nerves at times (I feel I can say this because I also have a southern accent), I've learned to enjoy her personality and I love her show, Paula's Home Cooking.

#3. Are you in a cooking rut? Name a food or dish that you’d like to find a recipe for.
I'm always in a cooking rut, mostly because I don't love to cook. The recipe that I would like to find is for this dish that my husband would bring home from work that was prepared by his co-worker's mom. She was from Iraq and the dish was grape leaves wrapped around rice and some type of meat. So delicious.

#4. Share a recipe created by somebody else that you haven’t tried but would like to.

Spinach Stuffed Shells Alfredo
1 pkg Jumbo pasta shells 12 oz
1 jar Alfredo pasta sauce 16 oz
1 pkg Spinach: frozen, chopped, thawed and squeezed dry
1 C feta cheese crumbled 4 oz
1/4 C milk
1 C mozzarella 4 oz shredded
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 egg
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t oregano, dried
1 pkg ricotta cheese, 15 oz.
1 T. parsley, chopped and fresh

Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat shallow 2-qt baking dish with cooking spray.

In bowl, mix Alfredo sauce, milk, tomatoes and pepper. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture over bottom of baking dish. In separate bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, feta, 1/2 c. mozzarella, egg and oregano. Drain pasta shells well. Fill each shell with about 1 T. of spinach mixture before placing in baking dish.

Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.

Done

We lost our game in the quarter finals, 1-0. We just did not play well and that's what happens. There is always next year and we will be back. So we are flying out Tuesday morning to go home, and are we ever ready.