Pot Roast Eliza Style

I made a fabulous roast that my friend Tammy posted about on her website http://www.tammysrecipes.com/. I checke her out daily and make quite a few recipes that she postes about regularly all without disappointment.

I love a good piece of beef and since my 2yr old is anemic, we try to incorporate more meat and that is what the girl wants! " More MEAT Mumma!" Ahhh, midwestern girl to the core!

If you are Eliza, you cannot just have regular meat- it must have "sauce" AKA fall colored sprinkles... Hey if you will eat it that way- I will buy sprinkles in bulk!

Noooooooo

So I am sitting here completely and udderly enjoying my newest addiction- Facebook and sort of kind of watching Grey's Anatomy in the background. My babes are asleep, after only 15 minutes of banshee screaming and I am thinking that my life rocks...

And I hear over the tube, something about , "Va J-J's and if one is going to venture to unchartered territories...."



WHAT! Come now- do not do this to me! Do not throw in your token gay-mance into my once beloved tv show! The one and only tv show that I like, that is on weekly on a night that I might even be able to watch it!

I think that my love affair with Grey's is dashed. I loved watching McDreamy and now I have to think about two McLesbians talking about "going to 2nd base" and " trying things out before going below the belt!"

ARGH!

Can a girl not just watch her trash tv without all the stinkin' trash?

Thankful for the poop

It has been another holiday from the blog. Sorry, I think that is my trend.

Anyway, a couple days after " The Great Poopy War" my husband and kids were in a car accident.

A terrible, horrible, no good , very bad day. The car is gone- but the family is intact. Simply put.

We are so very grateful for the safety God has wrapped them in, to say the least.

Obama is CRAZY- ( sorry for the sidebar- but the debate is in the background)

So amongst the loose ends is finding a car with the piddly monies the insurance gives one when a car is a total loss.

I should be researching MORE on the internet right now- but I found this absolutley fascinating crockpot blog. I spent a good amount of time there. That led me to looking on ebay for an Equi Flow food dehydrator on the whim that I would make a load of fruit leather. What?

I know I am nuts. I had a food dehydrator and NEVER used it- wait- once in college we tried to make craisins and it did not work- not at all.

So anyhow- I have to go to Walmart to buy a shower card. For a baby shower. My life is exciting.

Have you ever wanted to run away?

If you have ever been a parent of toddlers, you have probably had a day like mine was yesterday.
A day that goes great, in which you are so stinkin' proud of yourself because you tackled so much with two screaming kids.
One that you managed to clean in between breaking up playdoh fights and even cook a dinner fit enough to invite a guest... so you do invite that guest.
Then whilst you are enjoying your guest ,pridefully doing dishes and actually cleaning up after dinner for once, you hear your precious children giggling and whooping it up and you think, " Dang, I have it together!"

Until one of those precious blessings says through hysterical laughter, " There is poop in the bathtub!"
And you see him running through your clean house with said poop on his legs, feet... everywhere.
Did I mention he was naked? But the sweet baby was fully clothed, standing in the poop filled bathtub and swathed with toilet paper.

Once I assessed the situation, I caught the running poop-mobile, threw him in the tub, took out the baby and stripped her down. I asked my guest to monitor her whilst I began to decontaminate the hallway, bathroom floor and child.
I am thinking that the situation is beginning to get under control and starting to think it was funny until two things... One- poop covered kid begins to touch his MOUTH! EW!
and two- guest reports that sweet baby pooped on my couch!
I seriously almost waltzed straight out the door. My couch! The one that was only one day ago scrubbed and shampooed and freed of its peed-on state.

Lesson- do not have nice things until kids are 30. Note to self- buy extra rubber gloves.

Maybe someday

I will have the guts to be like her.... and be obliviously happy.

What I am thankful for...

After a much longer than intended break from writing blogs, I have been reading a ton of them.

Lots and lots of them with really good and really honest details about what life is- and it ain't pretty!

It is all about the dishes being undone, the floors being dirty and all sorts of loose ends. I appreciate that immensely.

I am someone who never feels caught up and loses sleep and fingernails over it ( but gains a few lbs!)

In the REAL world- the one I live in- the kitchen is clean, but still cluttered, the bathroom hasn't been touched and the bed is still awaiting fresh sheets.

I also have been extremely blessed to have really great friends who appreciate this too! How great it is to try to stop sweating the small stuff.

Friday my daughter turns 2 and one of our friends baked her a cake to celebrate with everyone while we did our weds beach day. She stayed up late do it and had all the extras- matching tablecloth, napkins- everything! You know who you are and you ROCK!

We had a great day.

Sleeping pills and washable markers

I had an unexpected half da from work today. That turned out to be a mixed blessing since I really would rather work, but I have been up since 3am.

I came home to one kid relaxing in a recliner and the other napping- or so we thought.

Instead we found a very blue girl with very blue walls, crib, sheets and mobile! Good thing that Crayola makes washable markers. This is her outside where I decided to spray her with the garen hose. Yes- she wa snaked when she did her artwork, so it was EVERYWHERE, if ya catch my drift.

No naps happened today and very crabby kids prompted me to put us all to bed at 6pm and I took my new sleep aid.

We are all up now. That lasted a whole hour and a half. I am very groggy now and these crazy kids say they are hungry! Yea for husbands and McDonalds, both of which arrived at home about ten minutes ago. I got my sweet tea fix and they are currently having a burger picnic. I am going to bed!

Woo time goes by...

I realize that it has been a good while since I posted and I promised myself I wouldn't do that when I started this blog!
So very much has been going on... a sudden family wedding to think about, freaking out about selling our home ( mostly getting it ready to sell), figuring out what money we REALLY have, deciding to send the youngest child to daycare and also to dance class in the fall, my mom being gone for two weeks, then awaiting to see when she will to have knee surgey, both my husband and I getting baptised, a few family spats :) , and finally the purchase of a strapless bra.

I know, I know, the last thing seems so dumb. But in relation to how things go in my life, it is huge. This family wedding should be fun, but the figuring out of outfits ( namely shoes and undergarments) is dreadful. I have a super cute dress from last year that I never wore and bought on major clearance for like $15. But it needs a super special undergoody and since I need super special support- this is daunting to me.
But alas, Kohl's came through and for onlt $21! Well to me that is a bunch, but maybe I can get more use than I thought?!
So now I have to figure out the cheapest way to get rid of my farmer's tan... hmmm!

All drivers beware!

I had my first ride, or drive rather, on a motorized vehicle with two wheels.
It was very impromptu, I was just getting home and my husbands friend stopped by to show it to him.
He practically dared me to drive it and of course I cannot turn down a dare no matter how scared I am.
While both kids were still in the car, I took off down the side walk, missed the driveway, flew over the curb and very very close to a white ford station wagon.

But then I got the hang of it and went entirely around the block! HOW FUN! But I think that is enough for a while.

I didn't even have a helmet or sunglasses on. Look out she's a dare devil!


All that excitement on top of a super good deal at Target, free splashes at the downtown fountain and then 3 free fruit teas from Carabou Coffee!
And then it crashed when I got home to check the mail and in it was a notice that my children's health insurance was ending in 10 days due to non-payment. Funny since my bank says the premium check cashed 4 days before it was due... hmm.
I already sent off a very demanding email as to what the heck happened and will this be a regular occurrence? I am sure they will all laugh at that one and throw me to the end of the pile, since it is the State, but I feel a teensy bit better! SO HA!

Brownies WITH sugar

I re-made Ina Garten's "outrageous brownies" again today... this time with sugar!
About two weeks ago I absolutley forgot the 2 1/4 c of sugar and let's just say they were very dark.
I also made a double batch of banana muffins to use up my brown bananas and those were ok. Nothing fabulous like everyone rated them.

I did about a zillion loads of laundry - in Gain- naturally. I washed my floors by hand, did dishes, put dishes away, got an oil change, took clothes to Goodwill and hit CVS and Target.

I took my three year old to breakfast at a restaurant , just us. We snuck out before anyone else was up. That is so fun. We have done it before and he is such a grown up!

So my mother has a fresh set of sheets waiting to get put on our bed in the morning, a dust free ceiling fan, clean floors and bathroom. All of this took only three days!
I had a ton of catching up to do... years worth. I had just been shuffling a lot of junk around.

Good thing we are going ot of town tomorrow and I had to do it- or else I may never have.

I did a ton today, I did not, however, shower. Something has to give.

Oh yeah- and I never figured out my tutuorial on using our remote control and switching from tv to dvd.

Bugs or just mental?

I am itching like crazy and I think I may be off my rocker, but I just came back from the laundromat.
I haven't been in a laundromat in ages and I remember them being less than sanitary, but today the one we went to was down rightEW!
I had to go, I have a king sized comforter that I wanted washed, but I wound up bringing it home damp because I could barely handle it.
Don't you think it is wrong to smoke in a laundromat? I don't know, just me.

Day one of 6!

Today is my first day off of 6.
I thought I might stay up really really late last night and clean the whole house, but...

So today I went to the eye doctor, yet again, and came home and tackled the bathroom.
I got that accomplished sans the floor and then it was time to pick up the oldest.
When I got home from that and a lunch and quick play at McD's with my dad ( the kids played, not dad & I!), the youngest slept while I started de-cluttering the kitchen and living room.
I should have taken before pics, but no one wants to see that! Trust me!

I am really trying to toss all the junk stuff we never use. Like the pencil , eraser and sticker packet from Halloween.


I am in the mood to eat chocolate cake, cold with a big icy glass of milk. I am not in the mood to make it. Just in case you were wondering.

Just plain MAD

Ok- now, just because I assume people have sense, does not mean they have any at all!
Here I sit, listening to my neighbor cut on a table saw just outside my daughter's bedroom window.

Oh yeah- it is 10:30pm. Mmm hmmm. I already called DH to remind him that he MUST go over there once he gets home and kindly ask that they get some sense, however, he hasn't gotten home yet.

This is a repeat of last night by the way.

Now, if this situation does not get resolved soon- I may have to go out there in my grubby night shirt, bedtime hair and glasses and blind the man doing the public nuisance ( only with my looks, not with physical harm naturally.) This may land me in the pokey, so if you don't hear from me, please send chocolate to the Racine County Jail.

Grandma, thank you

Tonight after reading Life and Death from one of my new blog reads Rocks in My Dryer, I realized a few things.
I realized that I think of my grandma often and I miss her, but I rarely mourn her. Don't get me wrong, I have moments of pure tearshed, but they come much less frequently then one would think.
When Grandma was with us, the last few years, I felt empty. I cried for the loss of her then and I prepared for her physical departure. Her dementia took her long before God did. And when he did I rejoiced for her.
Which brings me to the next realization. She taught things from the grave that I doubt I could have learned before.
At her funeral, our good friend sang her two favorite songs. One of which was " How Great Thou Art." During that song, my sadness stopped, completely left me and I felt my shoulders lifted and I just knew Grandma was in a good place. She was home.

How did I not see her faith until then?

That day I got her wedding rings and I wear them often, especially to church. At that funeral, I got it. I got God. Or at least I got that he is real and he does save.
What a gift.
So when you know that, it sure makes it hard to miss someone when you know they are where they should be.

Grandma is restored, and for that I surely rejoice!

Worst day ever

I like Sundays. Although we generally have to get out of the house earlier, I enjoy getting ready and getting to church where my kids are chomping at the bit to see their friends and so am I!
This Sunday was like most, Dh left earlier to play in the church band and we got set to go to the early service because I was teachign 2yr old Sunday school at the late service.
All was typical, church was good, the 9 two year olds were sweet.
We were in a new room and a couple kids had to get in the swing of things again, but it only took a few minutes.
We sang songs, read stories, played and had a snack. Then the time came to pick up the kids and when Tyler's mom came- there was no Tyler. NO TYLER.
I have never felt a panic like that, it was like a movie I swear I scanned the room in slow-motion and each place my eyes went I was shocked again to not find him.
This was my first meeting with Tyler- but I knew he had jeans on and a purple paicifer with circles on it and deep blond hair.
For the next 15-20 minutes maybe it was only 10- the church searched. When I realized I was outside looking others where outside looking too- I think my heart stopped completely.
As we entered the ajoining building- a guy casually mentioned that if we were looking for a toddler- his wife had him and was bringing him downstairs!
At first I thought he was joking but as I ran back down and heard it was true- I lost it.
What could have happened and all at my accountability.
If I felt like that- what did Tyler's mom feel like? I cannot imagine or be more sorry.
I cannot imagine what would happen to me if I went to pick-up my kid after a church worship service in the church's own sunday school room, manned by church moms and no kid- and no explaination.
We think Tyler snuck out the gate with another family and followed them to the other building. He was found playing in the kindergarten room.
Goes to show- even in God's house... we must always be on guard, we must never assume it cannot happen to us.
I will be different because of this, so will Tyler's mom. I am so sorry for that. I am not sorry he turned up safe and sound and maybe now we can tweak things so that no little ones can sneak anywhere and be gone so long without someone wondering where he belongs.

Because of Winn-Dixie

Now that was a GOOD movie, I think.

I was power shopping with my coupons at Target and stumbled upon a rack of movies. I wound up getting 3. I messed up my plan- but since a friend recently pointed out that " couponing is like crack," you can see how it happened.
I have been on the search for " How to Eat Fried Worms" and no one has it- no one. Best Buy said I can order it online. Phooey.
Lo and behold the worm movie is on that rack- the $7.50 rack too! I give that movie to the three year old who starts exclaiming, " I love this, I love this!" and I get two more finds- "Ant Bully" and " Because of Winn-Dixie."

I know nothing of the latter two, but I am getting so tired of " Chocket Factee" ( Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) that Chuck is about to visit the Hector the Garbage Collector.

I watched most of Winn-Dixie, that is if you count three minute increments every 5 minutes or so.
Strangely enough- the main charcter, um, " Opal" yeah. Is "Violet" from " Chocket Factee."
But she is really good in this one, and the story line is good too.
Dad is a preacher- mom is M.I.A., ten-ish yr old girl has no friends in their new town. She makes friends with all the outcast towns people. The wierd pet -shop guy ( Dave Matthews) and the lady everyone thinks is a witch.
But in the end- she brings them all together because of what she learns from them. Oh yeah, andd there is a dog named Winn-Dixie. I will have to watch it in full and get back to ya on that. But it is good- honest.

A bit of a break and geesh Gain smells good!

I always admired my girlfriend Carrie's " house-smell." You know, everyone has a house smell. I always worry that mine smells like basement and cigarette smoke from the neighbors. Dh says I am crazy, but cigarette smoke is pungent and I KNOW I smell it.
I digress... Carrie's house has a smell that is just good. Clean. Warm. I could just linger there forever, and have stayed many a day and night anytime I was invited!
When the time came for her to start giving my hand-me down baby clothes- they came with the smell! Hoo-Ha!
But what is it? I got those first bags of clothes three and a half years ago and this week I figured it out- Gain laundry detergent. I'll be! All this time and that is all it was.
And to put the cherry on the top- gain is cheaper than Tide and rated well too, says Consumer Reports!
I forgot about my discovery until I was folding laundry again tonight and I thought- this is too exciting to keep to myself. Hmm, I think that says a ton about my life these days- and yet it is pretty darn fascinating to me!

A week off- not much to show

So I had this lovely week off after Easter and I got sick- toosick to move for a few days and finally after a week I went to the Dr. I came home with antibiotics and an inhaler. So I am coughing less and feel better, but I still have clogged ears!

We managed to get out with friends sat night to Colony House and Starbucks. It was great. I had hoped to have a spiffy clean house and all these wonderful things- but ahhh. No such luck!

The kids did get in the snow with Daddy.

Still semi-blind

So not only did the trial contacts not do it of me, I ripped one th very first day! I have to pick up another pair today.
I am ignoing my children who are fighting over a dollhouse and two minutes ago were fighting over how much love Eliza wants Jack and he does not want to accept. Oh - she just pulled a cave man on him and dragged him acoss the floor by his hair- I must interrupt that.
This let- them figure it out themselves thing is hard for toddlers, not to mention all the way through teen years!

Can't see, how great

Alright,


So I go to the eye doctor, they order my special toric lenses for those like me who are exceptionally blind and I pick them up yesterday. Yeah, can't exactly see. Great. I can't focus them together and they expect me to wear them for two whole weeks to try 'em out!
Hmmm- I always have high hopes on stuff like this and am let down.

Last night I made homemade soft pretzels from a recipe on http://kellytheculinarian.blogspot.com YUM! Not as pretty as Kelly's, but I think I will be making them again, hence perfecting the look and making lots of yummy things with them- soups to dip them in and sandwiches too!

Right now I am enjoying Joffrey's " Jamaican Me Crazy" coffee which I got free from http://www.joffreys.com fresh from my french press while the babies sleep! A rare thing ( both at once!)

This morning it was 53 degrees! INSIDE mm hmm, furnace on the fritz. Well as it turns out, DH accidently put something on the drainage hose and it backed-up, shutting it down. So it was fixed for free! YEAH! But now the boxes are piled on my washer and drier instead of the hose... oh well!

I have pizza cassarole started for tonight- 3 weeks in a row now. It makes a ton, so we eat it more than once, but Little Guy asks for it so...
The recipe is from http:/www.tammysrecipes.com. She has lots of easy "everyday" recipes! Love that!

new eyes

I cannot wait to go to the eye doctor tomorrow- it is always a great thing to see better!

I have been milking these disposable contacts for WAY long!
I will update later.

Saturday in Jammies

So after an exhausting two days of driving into Chicago and sitting in lectures ( not to mention blowing my budget) I am happy to sit here on my couch with youngest next to me watching Bear in the Big Blue House. I really need to move us along today and accomplish something, but...

I need to compile a grocery list, and get to the bank. I really need a day of doing nothing important. I miss that part of life, but when I had it- I never appreciated it!

Read a little on raw honey... interesting and a little icky when they talk about bee parts still potentially in it. Not sure if I am up for that, but the benefits sure do sound good. I tihnk I better get moving.
I will post some of the things I learned at the convention later- since I took a whole day class on street drugs- I got lots of very interesting- eye opening info. Especially relating to knowing when your kids may be in trouble.

A crazy week ahead

This week already started out wierd. It was a rainy slippery mess Sunday and Dh had to get to church early because it was a band weekend for him.
I got the kids up and ready to go but could barely walk to the car-so I had to put on the BIG boots in order to get accross the street on my feet.
We got to church and not too many people were there and while I was in the toddler room with the kids- other parents began dropping their kids. Now I was waiting for the teacher, but she/ he never came so I stayed and missed FPU ( luckily I listened to it monday morning on my drive to work) and then for 2nd service I did my normal 2 yr old Sunday school.

Monday and tues were work days and this mornining I am up early to do a few bills, work on the budget ( which i messed up ) and have tea before hitting the shower and bringing the oldest to school.
But then I get to have my hair done at 9:30! WOO HOO! I then have to get out the carseats, get the car washed and vaccuumed ( lots of cherios in there) and get home.
Thurs and Fri I am the one who always drives to the dental convention that is this weekend in Chicago and Friday I have a carfull.
I cannot wait to get to the salon- what should I do with my hair?!

3 yr old birthday party

Today we had a birthday party for Little Guy's friend at day care. As it turned out we were one of two guests and it was so nice! I had the chance to talk with the parents and get a good feel for their family as well as observe the kids playing together. It was an awesome opportunity to see that the birthday kid was really a sweet boy as well as his younger sister and parents. The same boy was invited to Litle Guy's party in the fall- but since there were 10 kids, I never got to REALLy talk with the mom.
We will definitely get the kids together again!

So the party cut into my newly scheduled saturdays of mass cooking. I was still able to bake four loaves of bread, make a pan of baked oatmeal, pasta sauce and meatballs and prep for 8 meat pasties and 8 veggie pasties.

Luckily my kids have been tooooo good these past 2 saturdays while I am busy in the kitchen. I hope it keeps up because I am better able to keep to my budget if we are able to heat up a home cooked meal the nights I work rather than get take -out.

I need to check that weather- it looks like we are in for another winter storm- yea... I really can't miss two sundays of church in a row. I have obligations that I hate to cancel on, but if we are driving in sleet- I am going to have to.

So I just finished my chai tea latte and ate chocolate- must sleep! So tired! I stayed up until midnight last night watching a movie- way past my bedtime!

A new beginning...

Wow- my own blog... I am generally the one who is addicted to other bloggers input and can spend many an hour scrolling through someone's else's life.
Lately I am lovng moneysavingmom.com and from there I get linked to some amazing blogs in which one can learn to spend only$20 a week on groceries or make lentils and rice ( which I did for the first time ever tonight! Thanks to Lentils and Rice and her recipe!)