Well, here I am again…late! lol!!

Not much exciting going on this past week…all was calm and that is good! I did get a little bit caught up in my Pharmacy Tech course. I still have a bit to go to be completely caught up though. Pete had finals and will officially start nursing school in two weeks.

Pete and I watched all the episodes of Dexter on Showtime…that was fun but I had a few bad dreams! lol!! We are so bad…we watch The Tudors too! It’s educational right?! lol!!

Really…see…not very much excitement going on around here!~ I have a busy week coming up so next WR should be a little more entertaining! lol!!

BTW, look what Judi did….she hacked into my blog and added my signature! I love it!!

Check out other WRs over at Judi’s!

I know those of you who read my blog know my Dad….you know that I have turned over Wordless Wednesdays to him because he is a glory hog and needs the attention. Well, apparently, Wordless Wednesday was not good enough for him ’cause he’s decided to hang out in the hospital for awhile! Mom took him to the ER earlier today because he was having trouble breathing. After quite a few tests, the docs say his heart looks good but he may have clots in his lung. Sheesh Dad, really, you were getting a lot of exposure through WW so you didn’t really need to “shine” in such a serious way!!

So, please pray for Dad! And if you feel like making his day…leave a comment for him telling him how you love his photos! lol!!

UPDATE: Ok, so Dad’s lungs look “beautiful” according to the docs. He’s going to have several tests this morning at the Stroke Center. We will know after the tests if he will be admitted. He, of course, has diagnosed himself with hyperthroidism and has asked for the appropriate panels to be ran….heeheheeheee….I am so like my dad, I would have done the same thing! lol!! Of course, you have to know that Dad is not one of those bad patients who is demanding, he has just done his research! lol!! more later….thanks for all the prayers and comments! He will be so excited to see the comments left for him! lol!!

UPDATE #2: It looks like Dad was right with his self-diagnosis and this means I will never hear the end of how magnificent his “doctor-skills” are….he will be admitted for thyroid panels and such and then he will probably be getting to know the endocronologist. Thanks again for all the prayers.

I’m a little late posting my WR…seems like I’ve been a little late a lot~lately!

The Good:

• Belle lost her first tooth this week! I will be posting about the event once I find my camera and upload the photos.
• Pete took Belle and I out to eat at Ryan’s. We also went to Hancock’s and Books-A-Million. I bought Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult for $3!! Pete bought 23 Miuntes in Hell. Belle purchased one of those little chicks that you put in the palm of your hand and then it chirps. The boys were at a birthday party.
• School went really well this week…for all of us!

The Bad:

• Hmmm…I really can’t think of anything!

The Ugly:

• I didn’t get my fridge cleaned out like I planned and there’s a baggie of Curried Chicken that is looking a little questionable…

Check out other WRs over at Judi’s!

Monday evening we had a really competitive Pizza Cook-Off. Pete and I were the judges…one very hard job! lol!!

This first pizza was a BBQ Chicken Pizza with mushrooms and a bit of creole seasoning.

Here’s my nephew with his pizza entry!

Our second pizza was a Split Pizza with Meat Lovers on one side a Veggie Lovers with a little bit of pig on the other side. The crust was stuffed with cheese.

And here is Nik with his Split Pizza.

Finally, we have the Ham, Pineapple and Cheese Pizza with a huge pinch of creole seasoning. Jake also used cheese to stuff the crust then he made little indentions all the way around the pizza..very creative!

This is Jake acting goofy…with his pizza entry.

Pete and I decided to pick a category where all the boys could be a winner. My nephew won for most unique pizza. Jake won for the best-looking pizza…his kind of looked gourmet to me! Nik won for most traditional pizza. We announced the winners and all three boys stood there and gave us a “You’ve got to be kidding” look….we asked if they really wanted us to pick one winner and they said yes. So we did. Jake’s Pineapple Pizza was renamed “El Diablo” since the salty creole seasoning set our mouths on fire….his didn’t win. So now it was between my nephew and Nik. We asked each guy to tell us about their pizza and why they chose the ingredients they did…my nephew described his pizza and then Nik proceeded to describe his and, in doing so, bashed my nephew’s pizza! So all of a sudden, the winner was decided! Both pizzas (Jake’s was really good too…we requested he leave off the creole seasoning next time!) were really good but you just can’t win by bashing someone else’s pizza! lol!!

I’m so proud of the awesome way my daughter is able to pull together the greatest fashion “looks”…here we have a mixture of pjs, a little top that goes with a dress and there to the side of the tree you can see MY SHOES I WORE WHEN I GOT MARRIED!!! Those were put away in my closet…..so they woldn’t be worn into the backyard and then flipped off to climb a tree!~ Sheesh…..what a d.a.y.!!

I love it when it’s warm enough to head on outside and do some school! Today, we spread out a blanket and studied our Chemistry and History. We also read about St. Christopher. Because of the huge black storm cloud hovering above us, we decided to go to the back deck to read one of our current read-alouds, Bruchko (book link) by Bruce Olsen. This is a must read….it’s wonderful! These are shots of my kiddos before we started to read.

For some reason both my boys convinced themselves that their Geograpy Boards were due this past Friday. They were certain that the last day of co-op was that day….even though I told them there were three more Fridays left. But what do I know….so they quickly finished them and turned them in…3 weeks early! At least they’re done….sheesh…..Nik’s board is about Japan and Jake’s borad is about Madagascar.

Ok Sonya! Here’s my menu plans….so don’t be bugging me anymore! lol!!

Monday: Pizza Cook-off My kids and my nephew are going to have a cook-off with Pete and I as the judges!!

Tuesday: BBQ Pork with Baked Fries

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with rice and green beans

Thursday: Ham and cheese sandwiches w/veggies and dip

Friday: Crockpot Tuna Noodle Casserole w/salad

Saturday: BBQ Chicken PotPie for the potluck at church

Sunday: Hamburger patties w/ steamed veggies and salad

Lunch:

Egg Salad Sandwiches
PB & J Sandwiches
Mac & Cheese
Chicken Sandwiches
Quesadillas

Breakfast:

Oatmeal
Breakfast burrito
Smoothies
Cereal
Breakfast Crockpot
Muffins

This week has been crammed pack with ten gazillion things going on!

We started the week with a flat tire..now that’s always fun! We are now the proud owners of four brand new tires so we should be good to go..until Pete runs over another nail! lol!

Speaking of Pete, he was sick this week but is feeling much better now. He’s on antibiotics and all wis well!

We finished Bruchko and I highly recommend this book…I will be doing a quick review tomorrow evening.

My mom and grandmother are here this weekend and we have been quilting!! They arrived yesterday and we quilted and watched The Tudors…we are doing the same this evening. I have made two small quilt tops…one top just needs the binding. I love to hand quilt and this weekend has been a really nice treat!

Pete bought me some Shea Body Butter that smells like Lime-Coconut! Mmmm!!! It’s really limey which is what I love about it…and coconut is always good!!

Speaking if Pete again, he went to his nursing school orientation and meet all of his classmates that he will be spending the next year and a half with…I’m excited for him! I think he will be a great nurse!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week! Visit other Weekend Reflections over at Judi’s!

I prefer using a “Ham” instead of a mouse!! Just look at those little hands…awwww!!!

I keep on going back to flipping through FOX…CNN…MSNBC. My heart is so burdened for the parents of the students who were killed at Virginia Tech. I’m almost a year into grieving the death of my son, Gus, and I know it is something I will feel until I am reunited with him. It just makes me sad to think about all the moms and dads who are just beginning this journey. People tell me that grief gets easier…I think it changes but doesn’t really become easier…just different and the first few weeks after your child has died are tough. No matter how your child dies, it is shocking. One minute they are here and then the next they are gone. Gus was chronically ill and awaiting a transplant so we knew there was a possibilty that he may not survive…I can’t even wrap my mind around one of my children being murdered. So sad…I’ll be praying.

This is my sweet MIL’s chair that I took after her death last year. Margaret would sit in this chair and read her Bible and her daily bread book. I’m sure she read other books there too…but it’s special to me because she was such a godly woman while she was here. So, I can imagine her looking down upon us and seeing the chair in the corner of the room and saying “Well, I hope to my never…I think that’s my chair down there! If I could just see some of the fabric on the chair I could be certain…is that a corner of fabric right there?? Nope that’s just underwear…hmmm…”
So, in honor and memory of my most wonderful MIL (who, by the way, would never ever fuss at me for piling things up on a chair!) I am going to take care of all the stuff on the chair and this afternoon I’ll be back for the Big Reveal!!

Ta-Da!!! I did it!!

And liked it!! I found a recipe for Meatless Shepherd’s Pie over here ( scroll down) and thought I would give it a try. I have never used TVP and it was really ok…once I got over the texture…and I still may not be over it but I can work toward that! lol!! I really like that you get a lot of protein but no fat! WoooHooo!!

I love this song…I’ve heard it on the radio quite a few times and we’ve sang it at church recently. I know that it’s been around for awhile.

Now, what I want to know is where I can find out more about these?? The movements not the guys! lol!! We are Presbyterians, also called the “Frozen Chosen” because we just do not move during worship…at.all!! But….I feel it a comin’ folks, I really do…I think this song and the dance that goes with it just may be what pushes everyone into that place of jubilee!! lol!! I think I’ll schedule a meeting with the elders….

Pete…you’ll dance with me, right??

This is a book about asthma. I liked this book because it may give you some ideas about asthma. When you are doing a play and you know you have asthma, you would know that you were sick. But it would be a good thing to learn about asthma.
Brianna Breathes Easy by Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Jayoung Cho
American Lung Association

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Amazing! Judi says I make her “think” and this is amazing…not that she can think but that I could make someone think! lol!! Judi, I really appreciate how encouraging you are to me. What a sweet and dear friend you are…I’m blessed!! Can I award you right back??!!

Here’s my list of blogs that make me think:

1. Mo Mhíle Grá (pronounced muh veal/ah graw) is Gaelic for “My thousand loves” or “My great loves.” Though I love Sonya’s very inspiring posts, I’ll have to admit I chose her blog because I have to “think” about how to actually pronounce the title! lol!! No, really, I’m just kidding! I’ve known Sonya for awhile and I so appreciate how she cares for her husband and kids…and most importantly how she loves the Lord! Throwing you a biscuit, girl! lol!!

2. Fruitful Vines Julie-Anne is a Doula and Child-Birth Educator and I just love her blog because she makes me think about thinks I have taken for granted. For example, her post “Healing from Birth” really made me stop and think about my wounds from my last pregnancy and how there needed to be healing. I also appreciate that Julie-Anne’s posts are sprinkled with the Word…truly wonderful blog!!

3. Neonatal Doc Noooo, tell me it’s not so! Neonatal Doc is on a blogging hiatus and that’s a complete bummer! Other’s think he is a “Thogger” too.

4. Anna Maria Horner Me thinks me loves this blog a lot! I catch myself thinking about different color schemes when I visit AMH…she has inspired my current love of all things “bright and beautiful”. Her fabrics are completely wonderful!

5. Noah Steven “Crowned in Peace” I can’t even begin to tell you how many times Adrienne has made me think! I love the way she writes…I can really echo a lot of what she says about grieving. Kleenex warning for this one…it is beautiful!

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog).

I’m totally in shock! What a nice compliment!!

You still have time to nominate your favorite blogs…the deadline is midnight tonight!!

udi tagged me awhile back and I just now remembered!

Name Six Things in Your Fridge:

• Milk
• Bottle of salad dressing that is turned over and spilling out
• Chicken boob in a baggie….I need to post the recipe for this because it was tasty!
• Low-Carb whole wheat tortillas
• Black bean and Corn salsa..Old El Paso
• Cardboard yogurt holder because my kids refuse to throw anything away!

Name Six Things in Your Freezer:

• Tilapia fillets
• Brussel Sprouts
• 3 freezer bags of this weird chili I made. I’m saving them for times of desperation…
• Little itty, bitty ham chunks
• Bread from Atlanta Bread Company
• Spinach

Name Six Things Under Your Kitchen Sink:

• Sunlight dishwasher soap
• Vanilla Bean dog perfume…I’m so bummed. I bought the “tester”…I didn’t get a full bottle! lol!!
• “Renew” floor cleaner…it doesn’t renew my floor at all!
• a Level
• Chalkboard paint
• Baking Soda

Name Six Things Around Your Computer:

• Gus’ Nasty Dog
• Pete’s sunglasses
• Pharmacy Tech notebook
• Pencil sharpener
• Address Book
• Jake’s nametag for homeschool co-op

Name Six Things in Your Medicine Cabinet:

• Burt’s Bees Clay Mask
• Walitin allergy medicine
• Oilily perfume
• Betadine
• Calamine Lotion
• St. Ives Apricot Scrub

Name Six Things on or Around Your Nightstand:

• Clock
• Hair clip
• Lots of Books
• Pennies
• Lamp
• Hair Band

I’m tagging Sonya and Holly!

I just love Gail Gibbon’s books!! Really, I do…I think I may even be addicted! She has a teacher’s resource guide titled A Year With Gail Gibbons and it’s FREE!! These books are geared at early elementary but even my “tweener” thinks they are “OK” which is saying a lot coming from him.

Now…could someone please tell me how to actually take a photo of a book with a shiny cover???

Milo has some issues…Issues I think will be resolved soon when we can go back out and play…when our our warm and happy springtime weather returns. Until then, I’m afraid we are going to have to endure the “Demon Dog”. Here’s a list of his shenanigans:

Nik lost a tooth! Milo stole it and tried to eat it causing himself to kind of choke. Nik almost had to perform the doggy Heimlich maneuver but was able to retrieve the tooth by shaking the demon dog upside down until the tooth feel onto the floor. Sheesh…Demon Dog…you’d think you’d pick something a little tastier…that’s not even good eats!! But it was shiny and clean ! lol!!

I welcome anyone who wants to help me clean but one of my major requirements is that you don’t eat the sponge! Demon Dog, you are not welcome to help me anymore…you ate my sponge!! Again…not good eats!

I caught Demon Dog “doing his thing” with one of my decorative pillows. When I tried to take it away, Demon Dog snarled at me as if saying “Don’t you even think about touching my Lover Pillow. She is mine!!” He pulled “Lover Pillow” behind the chair and proceeded to….nope…that’s not what he did!….he chewed a hole in her and degutted her!! Sheesh…such a savage. Now this concerns me. What is going to happen if we try to breed this little registered mini dachsund with another little girl dachshund? Is he going to “do his business” and then chew her leg off and de-gut her?! I have fears people…big fears…

Demon Dog finally calmed down and I was able to catch a few shots of him looking quite guilty. He won’t make eye contact with me…he knows he’s been demonic! lol!!

Finally! Demon Dog dares to look me square in the eye!!

The Good:

• Judi gave me an award! Cool!!
• Someone else nominated me for another award! Was it you, Holly?? Cool again!!
• I had to take a GTT on Monday and the results were “normal” and that’s good!
• I started working on my “multi-purpose” room for Laura’s Organizational Challenge.
• Brad came and got some of the scrap wood we had piled up in our front yard. I have no idea who Brad is…he is a FreeCycler and I hope he’s not a serial killer…
• I made a new crafty friend named Betty…another FreeCycler.
• Milo (the dog ) bit Pete…Pete threw Milo off the bed and into the wall. Milo no longer bites Pete…Pete said it was just “reflex”…sure, whatever! Ok…well, Milo did deserve it…

The Bad:

• I had to drink the gaggy orange drink stuff for my GTT..ackkkk!
• Brad didn’t take ALL the scrap wood that we had piled up in our front yard.
• I accidently left a bag of sweaters on the back deck and it rained…
• We spotted Al Dente, the possum, in the middle of the back yard in broad daylight…now that’s gutsy!!
• Milo has an attitude problem right now. I’m sure he just needs to be played with more…he needs to be ran around the back yard. I think he’s depressed too because Big Dog hasn’t been around lately.

The Ugly:

• Ackkkk…Found this site today. It’s neat but oh so ugly….prepare yourself. It’s a dissection of a big, fat cow’s eyeball. I think the best video is the one where the kid is cutting into the cornea and the goo comes out…yowsie that’s gross!!

Hop on over to Judi’s to see other Weekend Reflections!

“Little Giant” by Mamluke

It is hard for me to write this. Even the image of the chalkboard eraser above sends chills down my spine!

It was 1986…an early spring day, when I experienced the wrath of my French teacher, Mme. Harris. (Oh, how I would have loved to have been able to find her photo on the net…something, anything but I could not.) She was writing french phrases on the board…things like “Je suis le professeur”, “c’est mon bureau” and “regardez-moi !” among many others. She was speaking the phrase as she wrote it because I’m certain she enjoyed hearing herself speak…well, actually I did too! All of a sudden…everything was quiet…she turned around from the board and threw her eraser at me!! Yep…her eraser left her hand and hit me on the shoulder…hard! Now, I was not the model student but this really came out of nowhere…she was crazy…”fou dans la tête”…I think that’s how you say “crazy in the head”! I sat in shock and then I heard some snickering toward the back of the room. Mme. Harris asked me if I was through talking because if so, she would begin her lesson again. Sheesh…I had not said a word…actually, I had heard no one say a word. She was nuts I tell you, NUTS!!!

She did end up apologizing but in the process of doing so, caused me to miss my bus….as if the eraser incident wasn’t enough! It’s been a hard life since that experience…hard to use a chalkboard or an eraser…too many memories….lol!!

The only things I remember from French are the following phrases:

“veuillez ne pas me frapper encore!” Please, don’t hit me again!

“non, pas la gomme à effacer de tableau!” No, not the chalkboard eraser!

“épaule meurtrie” bruised shoulder

“J’ai besoin de thérapie!” I need therapy!

ok..ok…I really used Babel Fish but I’m sure I tried to say these things!

I have decided to organize our living room…which actually is not used as a living room at all! I am going to do something crazy because our space is limited…I’m going to give this room four purposes. Yes, four purposes! I may be breaking all the rules of home deocrating and organizing but I’m gonna do it! lol!! This room will be our schoolroom, dining room, my studio and workout area.
I’ve answered the questions from this post that Laura wrote:

1. Purpose of area…see above!
2. What do I need near to serve that purpose? school bags, school books,
school supplies box, teachers manuals, 6 chairs, cd player
3. What can I remove? Glider, metal bookshelf, pillows, part of the fabric,
tub with workbooks, wooden bookshelf
4. What problems do I see? poor lighting, not enough chairs, need more
shelf space for fabric, nothing has a “home”
5. What organizational tools would help solve problems? plastic shoe boxes,
labels, shelf
6. What habits need to change? when fabric is donated to Gus’ Gang fold it instead of letting
“hang out”, put projects away after working on them, clean off school table
right after school
7. Budget? Under $25!
8. Timeline. 30 days
9. Plan of Action:

Purge items and place on FreeCycle
Remove items that don’t belong in the area
Cull fabrics and organize into colors
Find “homes” for the things that will be staying and label where necessary
After purging and culling,
check the room one more time for any “stragglers”
Clean the walls, floor, etc
Create a schedule and cleaning plan to put in my Home Management Binder

Here’s the before shots: