3 Soup Week

I kind of love Oklahoma weather. I, obviously, do not like winter, but if I had to plan out my perfect weather world it would be completely random. It would be 100 degrees on Monday, breezy and cool on Tuesday, 80’s on Wednesday, a quick snow storm on Thursday (just enough to appreciate the Monday’s and get in a quick snowman build) etc. I love that we had weather in the mid 70’s two days in a row and on Tuesday it is supposed to be a snow storm. However, I would go back to warm on Wednesday….I am not excited about the 17 degree high (pre wind chill) reality on Wednesday.

Can I just say that I think I have started a love affair with meat loaf? So good and so easy. I will say I prefer it in sandwich form and that is how I ate even on the first night. Mike and the kids loved it.

Can I also just say we have a kindergarten to go to next year?! I am so excited and feel such a sense of relief to know that everything is taken care of. I mean, as you know I have been obsessing for over a year. I really feel like we made the best decision for Scott and for our family. I think one of biggest adjustments will be Scott wearing collared shirts or has he calls them “handsome clothes” and oh man, that kid does not like handsome clothes. Go Patriots!

Feed Me

Monday: Chicken and Noodles (soupish)

Tuesday: Denise’s Delicious Soup (I am going to change it up and put it in the crock pot with stew meat instead of ground beef)

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner Eggs, Hash browns, Bacon, Fruit

Thursday: Egg Drop Soup (feelin’ fancy!) Chicken Fried Rice (adding green peas and shredded carrots)

Friday: Left overs

Saturday: Date Night

Sunday: Pizza Movie Night

If you are in Oklahoma, bundle up, hunker down and snuggle up to the fam.  If you aren’t in Oklahoma this week, just be happy for yourself.

Cat Attack

Oh me oh my throw a pizza in my eye.

My children have LITERALLY been attacking each other like wild animals. One of Scott’s friends at school told he looked like he had been attacked by a cat. I am not even kidding.

I am not saying this to play favorites, but I am going to have to blame Nate. He flipped the crazy switch on last week and he will not turn it off. On Tuesday I took away his superman outfit, his cape, sonic wii game time, and dessert (I later let him earn dessert back…don’t judge me, he needs the calories). I couldn’t think of anything else to even take away.

He actually told me…. “I hit you so hard in the head. I hit you and hit you and you die.*” His new move is to do something deliberately wrong and then say, “I accident. It just accident. I no get in trouble. I accident.” or to kiss me and say, “I so sorry Mama. I love you so so so much.” The manipulation starts early.

I know this stage will pass, but the fit throwing, the harassing his brother, the mean words, the constant fits, the yelling, THE YELLING, is wearing me down. I need to pull it together.

I mean look at him… He totally looks like he will grow out of it…

This stage will pass (just reassuring myself).

*PS Just so you know, he did get in big time trouble for the dying comment.

Meatloaf Virgin

One of my friends Amy has a blog and I LOVE this post she wrote. I read it today and it has been swimming around in my head ever since. I won’t break it down for you, just go read it yourself and be happy. (and check her blog regularly, it is great.)

My best discoveries usually come from copying off of other people and I am not afraid to admit it. That is why I love blog stalking people, they have great ideas! One of my friends from high school, Stacy has been posting on Facebook about her Nike training app. Then she mentioned it in her blog so I checked it out. Okay… it rocks. It is free. Download it now. Nike Training App. Then do the ab burner blast. Mamasita it burns!

Ok, the Pork Roast from last week so so so good. The entire family loved it and Mike said it was the best new recipe I have tried in a long time! It will definitely be a regular (good leftovers too).

Yummy in the Tummy

Monday: Meatloaf* (yes Lauren, MEATLOAF!) rice and salad

Tuesday: Poppy Seed Chicken (Thanks Alayna) Asparagus, and Rice

Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Sandwiches (carry over from last week) and salad

Thursday: Meatloaf Sandwiches and green beans

Friday: Out

Saturday: Breakfast for dinner

Sunday: Pizza Movie Night

*after reading the Meat Loaf reviews I am going to add 1 tbs of Worcester, 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke and sauté the onion in butter before adding to the loaf

Mini

This week will be happy and sad. The sad: We are saying goodbye to Evyn and Ryan. The happy: Ryan is going to be the assistant volleyball coach for The University of Alabama. We are so excited about this new opportunity for them and so proud of Ryan. We love you guys and will miss you! AND thank you for only moving 10 hrs away.

When my mom was talking to Scott about Evyn and Ry moving this is what Scott said:

Scott: I will probably forget them.

Mimi: I know it is sad, but we will still get to see them and talk to them on the phone.

Scott: Well, when they move away, I won’t see them very much…so I will forget them.

Kids sure know how to make you feel special. I was told this week AFTER having a pajama day, dragging out all the art supplies (including GLITTER), spending an hour and a half constructing Mini the robot out of boxes and egg cartons, making cookies AND having a movie night (all in one day)…. “I wish Daddy was back, your not very much fun.” Warmed my heart.

The Making of Mini

Also on the agenda this week….dun dun duuuunnnn…. Our first ever school interview. We interview Tuesday at one. I am excited and nervous… To be honest, a little more nervous than excited. Scott is a rock star and do great, me and Mike on the other hand….

Let’s Eat

Monday: Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast with Rice and Veggies (leftover from last week)

Tuesday: Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Wednesday: Ev and Ryan’s Goodbye Dinner at my parents (sniff sniff)

Thursday: Spinach Omelettes,  Bacon (Scott’s favorite food), Fruit

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Date Night?

Sunday: Pizza Movie Night

Happy Monday. Have a wonderful week!

My Boys

Sometimes I have a desire so deep that it aches, to move to the country, unplug everything, and freeze these little guys. Sometimes it is almost painful to see another day end and know that tomorrow they will be one day older.

 

Awkward

So I just realized I never gave my official review of e-mealz (I was trying it out here). As Scott would say, “Awkward!” (that is his new randomly and inappropriately used word). I can see how it might be a useful service, but it wasn’t for me. To many cream of whatevers used and just flat out not good sounding meals. I know you have been holding your breath since August to hear my opinion, you may now breathe again.

I also just realized that I am way behind the curve and just discovered this Cooking Light website. Awkward! I have yet to actually make anything from this site,  but it all sounds wonderful (and they have all the nutritional info for each recipe).

FEED ME

Monday: Chicken (rotisserie chicken leftover from last week) Tacos and/or Nachos

Tuesday: Denise’s Delicious Soup*

Wednesday: Salmon Cakes and Cherry Tomato Cucumber Salad (I have left over pizza for back up)

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (I got this and I am going to try it with my Star War’s pancake molds from Williams Sonoma that I was too cheap to by the coordinating pancake squirter thing for that I now regret because it is impossible to spoon the batter into the damn molds)

Friday: Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast with Rice and Veggies (I will admit one of the reasons I picked this is that is sounds fancy)

Saturday: OUT

Sunday: Pizza Movie Night

*Denise’s Delicious Soup

This recipe is (obviously) stolen from my friend Denise. I love it. I made it and ate it daily. Really love it. And it’s easy.

Denise is fancy and doesn’t measure (I know, the nerve!) so she gave me ingredients and I started just guessed.

1 lb lean ground beef cooked with one onion chopped, a couple of tablespoons of chopped garlic and cumin (I just dumped about 2 tbls in)

1 can corn drained

1 can green beans drained

chopped celery

chopped carrot

chopped potato (about 5 small red)

Parsely

Thyme

Basil

Pepper

(I used basil and 3 bay leaves…. it was all I had)

Put the veggies into meat and add equal parts of beef broth and tomato JUICE until it is the consistency you like your soup. I like less liquid and I think I added 3 cups of tomato juice and 3 or 4 cups of broth.

ENJOY and Thank you Denise!

PS This is totally off the subject BUT I watched the Vanilla Ice Project. Aaannd it was as Vanilla Icey as I was hoping. It was kind of boring. My favorite part was when Vanilla says, “This is what I do when I am NOT on tour.” Ummmm, so all the time?

Back in the Saddle

If you have read my last post, you know that I am posting twice in one week right now so I would like to give myself a pat on the back. Thank you. Thank you. I’ll be here all year.

Back to real life. I am writing this on Sunday, if you are reading this on Monday, you can be pretty sure I am choking back tears. I really hate it when every one goes away. Mike is back at work, Scottie is back at school, Nate and I are back at yoga. I am back to having to cook (cue the tears).

Monday- Dinner at my Mom’s

Tuesday- Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas (not adding the brown sugar BUT adding rotisserie chicken)

Wednesday- Blackened Tilapia, rice, veggies

Thursday- Breakfast for dinner… omelets, bacon, and biscuits

Friday- OUT

Saturday- Chili and leftover biscuits from Thursday

Sunday- Calazone and Movie Night (movie of the week Emperor’s New Groove)

I will leave with this little Christmas gem to cheer you up on a Monday morning:

(this was while we were looking at Christmas lights and came across a Nativity scene)

Me: Look kids! Do you see Baby Jesus?

Nate: I see Baby Jesus!

Scott: Baby Jesus is disgusting.

Me and Mike: (silence)

Mike: Baby Jesus isn’t disgusting, he is awesome!

Scott: No he isn’t. Can he even work the DVD player by himself?

Me and Mike: Silence

Scott: I told you he couldn’t do everything.

Soooo I guess we should have tried a little harder on our 2010 resolutions.

A New Year

One of my favorite times of year is here. The New Year! AS IN… New Years Resolutions. I looooove New Year’s Resolutions. Is there anything better than a fresh start? Is there a better time for a fresh start than a new year? I think not.

Firstly, I will recap my successes and unsucesses of my last years resolutions…. (here is the original post if you need all the saucy details)

Personal Goals 2010

1. Get back in to yoga- DONE. I have tried to go at least once a week. Of course there have been weeks of sick kids and other excuses, BUT I would say on a bad month I have gone at least every other week. And my body thanks me.

2. Cleaning Schedule– DONE

3. School for Scott- Not all the way done, but getting close. We have two interviews at our top private schools scheduled and we will go from there. We haven’t completely ruled out our neighborhood school, so we are getting there.

4. Take a meal to a family once a month- I did this with out fail until June…. and then I am sad to say, it was spotty. I think I did it a couple of times between June and Christmas but definitely not every month. FAIL.

Family Goals 2010 Review

Don’t laugh. We did succeed at one of two.

1. Get rid of Tots (the name, not the child)

2. Get involved in a church and small group- Fail. Big time.

So… Personal Goals, pretty good, family goals, not so good. I blame Mike. Why? Because I don’t want to take the blame.

2011 Goals

I think goals should be specific and measurable. How else do you know how you are doing?  But this year, I am breaking my own rule….

1. Be less bossy (I know it’s pathetic)- Have you ever heard, “If you can smell yourself then you smell 10 times worse to everyone else?” Maybe only I have been told that, I do have a sweating problem. Well, I am applying this theory to personality traits, as in… “If you feel like you are being bossy, then it is 10 times worse for everyone else.” I feel bossy a lot. Rephrase, I AM bossy a lot. It really does come from a good helpful place, but I am sure it is annoying. I have always been bossy, I know this, I own it, it is just the truth, but I think having kids has made me reaaaally bossy. Excuses, excuses…. This is one of those non measurable goals, but I am going to try…..

2. Blog at least once a week and add pics at least once a month- About a week ago, I visited my blog for the first time in months and was looking back over year that I blogged, I was laughing and crying and remembering (okay, that sounds super cheesy, but it actually is true). And wishing I was still blogging during the kitchen renovation, the first days of school, Nate’s broken leg and all the other stuff that has gone on. Also… I am a horrible baby booker.

AND getting a head start on my resolutions… My favorite pics from Christmas break.

 

Nate (in his new uniform) and Scott at our Christmas Day movie.

Christmas Morning Chaos. (look closely, Nate has a blue balloon and Scott has the green one.)

I love this for 2 reasons. 1: It was 70 degrees that day. 2: He is so good lookin'.

Bring on 2011!

(P.S. I am nosy, so if you feel like sharing, I would love to hear your resolutions!)

(P.P.S. Did you know Vanilla Ice has a new show on HGTV? I HAVE to remember to DVR it.)