Gossip At The Fence

Menu Plan Monday, February 7th - 13th

2011-02-07T16:12:00.000-06:00

I tried to get a jump on this last night but it didn't happen. Last night was a mad dash to get a kid ready to return to school after 9 days off...2 weekends, an absence because of a doctor appointment and 4 snow days. What's the deal with all the snow?? The infrequency of snowfall is one of the main reasons I live in Texas. :) They say we're supposed to get more on Wednesday too so really I could go from not having to cook anything on Wednesday to full blown panic mode if the snow hits and our scheduled "activities" are cancelled. Joy, oh joy!

So, on the agenda this week is choir practice on Wednesday for B if it isn't cancelled because of the weather. Choir practice along with evening church service for her usually means I fend for myself because they feed the kids at church. Thursday there is a basketball practice at some point in the evening unless the weather messes that up so we'll have something quick that night. Saturday is B's first basketball game but we still don't know the time so I may fix something that night and then again we may go out to eat if her daddy comes up. Sunday I'm not sure what I'll fix but maybe it will be sausage, potatoes and onions which is a fall back meal for me.

Monday - Spaghetti w/garlic bread

Tuesday - Fried Chicken w/mashed potatoes

Wednesday - FFYS or grilled cheese w/tomato soup

Thursday - B'Ball Practice - Burritos w/spanish rice

Friday - Lum's Ollieburgers

Saturday - 1st B'Ball game, dinner out?

Sunday - Sausage, potatoes & onions skillet

So, how is your week shaping up? Got your meal plan ready?

If so, then why not head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and link yours up with the other meal planners?

Menu Plan Monday, January 24-30

2011-01-24T11:26:00.000-06:00

This week I’m trying something a little different. Instead of assigning a meal to a certain night I’m going to be doing it freeform. There are lots of possible “things” going on this week but I have nothing set in stone at the moment so the keyword this week is flexibility.

The Bee has signed on for a community basketball league and we’re still waiting to hear when practices will be held. Also, her daddy may come to visit this weekend but since he’s sick with the flu right now even that isn’t a definite. When you take those two things and add in the likelihood that I will forget to thaw something in an appropriate time period, it’s best just to remain flexible.

There are only 6 meals here but I figure if her daddy comes up we’ll go out to eat somewhere at least one night, and if he doesn’t there will likely be plenty of leftovers from the other meals that will need to be eaten.

Grilled Cheese

Spaghetti w/garlic bread

Chicken Pot Pie

Mom’s Goulash

Chicken Scallopini

Eight Layer Casserole

Again, my thanks to Laura of I'm an Organizing Junkie for sponsoring Meal Plan Monday.

Coming Out of the Shadows and MPM

2011-01-10T08:18:00.002-06:00

Whoa! Kind of scared you didn't I? I know it's been so quiet around here everyone had to have assumed the place was deserted. LOL, I'm just that kind of girl to hang back and watch instead of being in the limelight, oh....what's that you say? This *is* my blog and I *should* be in the limelight? Oh well, in that case...

Not much going on here right now except a whole lot of cold. We're in that area of the South that everyone is reading about lately...the really cold one. It's funny, seeing people who are used to warm weather being thrown into weather like this in a way. None of the clothes are right and heaven forbid if the roads ice or snow should fall. We'll make it through it even if we are a bit frostbitten around the edges when it's all done.

I'm planning on a couple of "comfort food" type meals this week but I do have to brave the elements tomorrow to go grocery shopping. Due to the unknown from that and the uncertainty of our schedule from having upcoming basketball practices as yet unscheduled, things could change. Hmm, my meals are kind of like the Texas weather. If you don't like it, don't leave. It'll change again real soon. :)

Monday - Skillet hash from leftover steak, green beans

Tuesday - Chicken noodle stoup

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Weiners w/mac & cheese, asparagus

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Tacos w/fixins

Sunday - Fried drumsticks, mashed taters

I'm linking up with the other menu planners at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Thanks again Laura for hosting this each week. :)

Menu Plan Monday, October 18-24, 2010

2010-10-18T23:09:00.000-05:00

Monday - Macaroni & cheese w/smoked sausage

Tuesday - Chuck roast with veggies in crock pot

Wednesday - Leftovers (church night)

Thursday - Spaghetti w/meat sauce, garlic bread

Friday - Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Saturday - Shrimp scampi w/linguine

Sunday - Leftovers or FFYS

For more menus stop by

and see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan Monday, August 30-September 5

2010-08-30T11:19:00.000-05:00

Well we made it through the first week of school! There were no tardies, no morning battles, and for the most part no night time battles either. There is actually excitement coming from Becca when school is mentioned and she's said a couple of times that she likes school. This is a vast improvement over last year when we fought every morning and were late more often than not. I'm almost scared to say how pleased I've been so far for fear of jinxing myself.

There is also a semi smooth evening routine in place although it does kind of fluctuate a bit from night to night and the timing isn't perfect on it. It's early on yet so I'm hopeful that we'll get all the kinks ironed out before too long. None of the after school stuff has started yet so we're pretty much just dealing with homework at the moment. I can tell that homework is going to be a major stressor this year on both of us. I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude though in hopes that I don't stress her out more.

This week is going to be more or less a "junk food" week as far as dinners go. I'm resisting going to the big grocery store unless I have to but I'm also trying to find things that Becca will eat without a lot of resistance.

Here is our menu plan in all it's glory. If this isn't to your taste, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie and I'll bet you can find some ideas from the participants there.

Monday - Nachos Supreme

Tuesday - Tuna Patties w/mac & cheese

Wednesday - Mom's Hamburger Helper

Thursday - Chicken fingers (ritz cracker breading)

Friday - Grilled cheese sandwiches

Saturday - Pizza (boxed crust, our toppings)

Sunday - Sandwiches & chips

Until next week, adieu!

Menu Plan Monday, August 23rd - 29th

2010-08-24T09:44:00.001-05:00

Monday - Oven Fried Chicken with fried potatoes

Tuesday - Take out (afternoon appt)

Wednesday - Take out (afternoon appt)

Thursday - Chicken spaghetti

Friday - BBQ Volcano's

Saturday - Homemade pizza and garlic bread

Sunday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes

For more meal ideas, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie .

Menu Plan Monday, August 15th -21st

2010-08-17T01:26:00.002-05:00

I'm not going to do a long winded blog post today because I think that's where I mess up on my consistency. I get ready to do a post and then I sit and think about what I need to put in the post to make it interesting. I think myself right out of making the post really. The purpose of today's post is to put my menu plan up where I can be held accountable and have a plan for the week so that's what I'm doing.

Monday - TV dinners

Tuesday - Cube Steak

Wednesday - Chicken Leg Qtrs.

Thursday - Hamburger Helper (Meet the Teacher night)

Friday - Pork chops

Saturday - Grilling (B's daddy will be in town)

I have the meat for the different days planned out but haven't really come up with an actual recipe for everything. I'll try to come in at the end of the week and edit with how I fixed everything and I'll also try to include either a recipe or simple directions for what we ate.

Next week school starts and I will really need to have a menu plan each week so hopefully you'll be seeing posts from me more frequently even if it is just my menu plans. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys what is left of summer.

I'm linking up with Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie again because it's such a wonderful gathering of planners who participate each week.

Weird weather, weird things

2010-08-06T16:34:00.000-05:00

Coincidence is a strange thing. Earlier today I was reading a local article about how the meteorologist predicted how bad this season would be regarding hurricanes and tornados etc. The bulk of the article was that so far they’ve been flabbergasted as to why we haven’t had more tropical storms and hurricanes/tornados because all the weather conditions are perfect for the formation of those type storms.

Flash forward about 2 hours and you are where I was 30 minutes ago … sitting in a darkened house, listening to the sounds of Kirby being played on a Nintendo DS. We were without power due to a freak storm that was just “here” without any advance warning. I was sitting on the couch and suddenly saw tree branches blowing strongly in a wind that came from out of nowhere. Then I see rain hitting the window. The temperature on my air conditioner dropped 10 degrees in less than 5 minutes and then we lost power. I couldn’t check any of the weather sites because I had no power which meant I had no internet because of course the router is run on electricity.

This storm was brief but definitely made its presence known. I had branches sliding across the roof of my house from where the wind, I’m assuming, tore them off of the trees. My barbecue grill is laying about 30 feet from where it was and my trash poly-cart is nowhere to be seen. While waiting patiently for the electricity to come back on I was finally able to find the answer to question #3 on the Monday Mingle question from last week…

I can only go an hour with no internet before ~~missing it~~ starting to go crazy, LOL.

Menu Plan Monday, July 12

2010-07-12T13:36:00.004-05:00

I have fallen and can't get up..... Onto the menu planning wagon that is.

LOL, I actually have been more or less planning my menus but haven't been posting them to my blog. I also haven't been following said menu plans very well. So I'm back to linking up with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She must be onto something with the planning thing because hardly a week goes by that there aren't at least 300 other bloggers linked to her site. It's awesome blog hopping to see what everyone else is eating and finding new recipes. I love it!

Anyway, this being summer and all, everything around here has been kind of "catch as catch can". We're just now hitting the halfway mark of summer vacation. I'm hoping that the remainder of the summer goes by quickly but not too quickly.

I've got some yellow squash that I will be cooking early in the week even though I'm almost positive the Bee won't eat it. It has to be fixed and soon or I will end up losing it. Also, the Bee is leaving on Friday to go spend an extended weekend with her daddy so I will be kid-free this weekend. I won't be planning meals for those days.

So here ya go...my menu for the week ahead.

Monday

Spaghetti w/meat sauce

garlic bread

Tuesday

Baked chicken leg quarters (crock pot)

stuffing

garlicky asparagus

Wednesday

Chicken strips

mashed potatoes w/gravy

broccoli

Thursday

McD’s (after counseling appt)

Friday - Sunday

Yoyo nights

(~~You're~~ I'm on ~~your~~ my own)

Facebook - Friend or Foe?

2010-07-11T12:03:00.003-05:00

I know technology has come a long way since we first started using computers and I also know that it’s assumed that everyone is tied into the technological world. This is not necessarily the case. There are people who still do not own computers and there are people who still do not own iPhones or other “smart” phones. Even those who do have computers or phones that text and can access the internet don’t always fully utilize those technological marvels.

I am on my computer every day thanks to being able to be home versus in the 9 to 5 world. Even with that though, I haven’t yet bought into the “Facebook Rules” mentality so I don’t check my Facebook page fanatically. There are days that go by without me even looking at it. I do own a cell phone and I do have a texting plan but I don’t have internet or web access on it because I can’t afford the plans.

By now you are wondering I’m sure where this post is going. It’s going here…

This morning I opened my Facebook page to check my updates since it was probably Friday afternoon or so when I last checked. First thing I see in my updates is a message from my nephews wife saying something about him going to be having surgery on Monday and how his hip is broke etc… I, of course, start tracking back in the updates to see what is going on and lo and behold on Friday night he was in a 4 wheeler accident. The 4 wheeler landed on top of him and he has a crushed hip, the other hip is fractured and of course he is in tons of pain. Thankfully he sustained no head injuries and is not paralyzed. He will have a very long surgery performed on Monday and faces rehabilitation after that.

Once I made sure that he was not in critical condition, I started reading comments on the original post to kind of catch up and I saw that another niece of mine had commented. I didn’t even know that she was on Facebook so I friended her real quick and then searched to see if her brothers were on Facebook. One of them is so I went to his page and I find out that I became a great aunt again oh, about 8 months ago… If I hadn’t checked Facebook today would I have found out about my nephew’s accident or about my great niece? Who knows...

My question to you today is…

If technology has allowed us to be more connected to people from all over, how is it that it has made us become less connected to our very own families? Do you rely solely on the internet to let people know what is going on in your life? Is anyone else as bothered by this as I am or am I just being overly snarky?

Menu Plan Monday, June 7 - 13

2010-06-07T10:48:00.007-05:00

Here we go again...summer time meal planning at it's weakest. I usually don't plan for breakfast and lunches because I've gotten into the habit of assuming the Bee will eat those meals at school. Now I have her home for the summer so it's time to kick the planning into hyper mode. I've got a vague menu for dinner meals already but I seriously need to work on the breakfast and lunch thing.

I will be going grocery shopping either Friday or Saturday so the meals for those nights are still iffy and will depend on what kind of deals I can get when I go shopping. Maybe I'm cheap or just out of touch with reality but it seems like meat prices are outrageous right now. Our freezer has had mostly chicken or hamburger for it seems like forever. And man is our house hot! I'm going to try to find some meats that lend themselves well to grilling to help keep the heat out of the house but that may be difficult due to the Bee's pickiness/eating issues.

In other news, we go back to Fort Worth later this month for a follow up visit to the nutrition clinic. We're making progress but it's not at the rate everyone expected when her Gbutton was put in last year. I'm so very tired of all the hassles and arguments...

Well anyway, here is this week's hastily thrown together menu.

Monday
Cheeseburger Macaroni HH
Tuesday
Slow Cooked Thai Chicken
Wednesday
McDonald's on the way home
Thursday
Southwestern Baked Spaghetti
Friday
Take out, bring home pizza
Saturday
Sausage potatoes and onion
Sunday
Still to be determined

Go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more ideas!

Menu Plan Monday, May 10-16, 2010

2010-05-10T14:22:00.003-05:00

Monday - Leftover grilled foods
Tuesday - Spaghetti (garlic bread, salad)
Wednesday - McD's or SOS
Thursday - Crock pot Rotisserie chicken meal (potatoes, salad)
Friday - Fish (mac & cheese)
Saturday - Hamburger Helper (green beans)
Sunday - Chicken tacos

If you are stuck trying to figure out what to serve your family you should go check out all the people linked up at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan Monday, May 3 - 9

2010-05-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

Monday - Subway sandwiches
Tuesday - Chicken (I'm thinking Chicken Lo Mein)
Wednesday - Spaghetti w/meat sauce
Thursday - Ham and scalloped potatoes
Friday - Hamburger Helper
Saturday - Round Steak
Sunday - Mothers Day (not cooking if I can help it )

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal ideas and lots of cool blogs.

Menu Plan Monday, Week 9

2010-03-01T22:29:00.002-06:00

I've kind of skipped a few weeks in posting my menu plans. Not that I haven't been planning but I haven't been too faithful in posting what I planned. Last week was really hectic as is this week so far, due to house hunting runs. I'm not moving but so far I've seen 6 potential houses for my aunt and uncle who are moving to this area. On top of that I've also been trying to find a house for my cousin and her husband and son who are also moving here. So although I'm terribly excited about finally having family in the same town as I am, I am also basically run ragged from attempting to find houses for them and still keep my house going. Today however I found my cousin a house so now they both have somewhere to move into when they get here. I'm tired.... :)

So anyway, I did plan a menu for this week and I started it today, but have already had to alter it. I will post it as I planned it and make notes on how well I follow it as the week goes on. There are 430 participants already linked up over at I'm an Organizing Junkie so if you think you need ideas for meals this week or even if you're just curious what everyone else is eating, you should definitely go by and see Laura.

Monday - Cheeseburger Macaroni courtesy of Hamburger Helper,
served with asparagus
I originally planned to do Chicken Noodle Soup but it was a busy day

Tuesday - Baked Cod (I still haven't decided how I will prepare it)

Wednesday - Church (The Bee will go, I won't..she'll eat at church and I'll grab a sandwich)

Thursday - Crockpot Roast w/potatoes and carrots (undecided about recipe as yet)

Friday - French Dip-ish Sandwiches (I'll use the leftover roast)

Saturday - Baked Teriyaki Chicken w/spaghetti squash maybe

Sunday - I haven't planned this as yet

I will try to update throughout the week with what we actually end up eating and any recipes I make use. Hope everyone has a good week!

Menu Plan Monday, Week 4

2010-01-25T22:15:00.003-06:00

I'm on time but so late with this. LOL, Laura already has over 470 people linked up and today is just Monday. People must be spreading the word. Anyway, my meal plan this week is kind of iffy because I'm not sure if I'm having company this weekend or not. I have frozen cod and need a recipe to fix it by if anyone out there has one. Also, any good homemade noodle recipes would be appreciated.

Sunday - Asian Style Fried Rice (Homestyle Bakes)
Monday - Penny Burgers
Tuesday - Deviled Chicken Crock Pot
Wednesday - Spaghetti w/Schwan's Meatballs
Thursday - Cod (Help! Need a recipe)
Friday - Turkey and Homemade Noodles (recipe anyone?)
Saturday - Will be leftovers probably

If your weekly meal plans are getting boring or if by some chance you don't plan your meals for the week, go check out the Menu Plan Monday posts on I'm an Organizing Junkie. It amazes me each week at how many people link up...not to mention the fact that they give me so many good ideas. Thanks everyone!

Monday Mingle, Jan. 25, 2010

2010-01-25T16:31:00.003-06:00

I've been missing the Mingle lately....I'm so glad I got in on this one. If you don't know what I'm talking about just click play on the video below then go to see Jennifer at Eighty MPH Mom and see more vloggers participating. Heck, why don't you do a mingle yourself? It's a blast!

This weeks questions are:

1. Would you accept an invitation to do a survivor show? What would you hate most about being on the show?
2. When/how did you learn to ride a bicycle?
3. What do you want to have accomplished (personally) in your lifetime?

If you want to get a head start on next week's mingle the questions are:

1. If you could be any literary/ movie character who would it be and why?
2. What is your biggest phobia?
3. Do you have any pets? What are they and what are their names?

Menu Plan Monday, Week 3

2010-01-17T23:19:00.003-06:00

Last week I missed posting my menu plan for the week. I did have a plan and I followed it pretty much, but I didn't post it. This week though I'm back to linking to Laura's Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I love this woman for putting together this meme. It helps keep me a bit more organized each time I participate. Thanks Laura!

On to the menu...

Week of January 17 - 23, 2010

Sunday - Sausage, potatoes and onion skillet
Monday - Creamy Burrito Casserole
Tuesday - McDonald's (doctors visit out of town)
Wednesday - Meatloaf (trying Ree's recipe)
Thursday - Deviled Chicken Crock Pot
Friday - Turkey enchiladas using this recipe
Saturday - Penny Burgers

I would highly recommend going and checking out the many participants at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday, Week 1

2010-01-03T22:59:00.004-06:00

I decided to start titling my Menu Plan Monday posts by the week they occur. Hopefully this will work out for me. It's been an interesting couple of weeks and I have many things to tell you but since I'm posting this late at night I will have to do another post tomorrow to fill you in. I'll be posting my Monday Mingle tomorrow too if the planets all align properly, LOL.

For now I'm putting my menu for this week up so that will be one less thing I have to worry about this week. PCCX starts this week and I plan on being very busy. Having my meals planned will help tremendously. I will be adding links to some of the recipes tomorrow.

Monday - Sausage taters & onions
Tuesday - Southwestern Baked Spaghetti
Wednesday - Church
Thursday - Fish Sticks w/mac & cheese or FF
Friday - Sloppy Joes
Saturday - Ham & Potato Soup
Sunday - Roast Chicken

If you are the slightest bit stressed about what you are going to eat this week, you need to go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I'm sure that out of the 200+ participants there, you will find something to help you out of any "rut" you might be facing.

Menu Plan Monday December 28, 2009

2009-12-27T23:13:00.006-06:00

Monday
Sausage, potatoes and onions

Tuesday
Turkey and dumplings/noodles

Wednesday
Impossible Ham Pie (courtesy of Bisquick)

Thursday
Hamburger helper

Friday
Ham slices, blackeyed peas, cabbage/green beans, potatoes

Saturday
Spaghetti w/meat sauce

Sunday
Turkey stir fry

All of the meals this week will be very simple meals and will mostly use up the leftovers from the Christmas meals. I don't have any recipes to link you to yet but I will be trying to find the Impossible Pie recipe and will link when I do. If you need ideas on what to fix your family for dinner this week, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. By weeks end she'll have over 300 blogs linked up who are participating.

I'll be trying to post some still pictures of various happenings during the Christmas holiday either later Monday or Tuesday. We experienced a white Christmas and it really mixed things up a bit. I will also be working on my 2010 goals and will post them when they are finished.

Menu Plan Monday, December 7 - 13, 2009

2009-12-07T23:05:00.003-06:00

I finally got my act together enough after the Thanksgiving holiday to make a meal plan for the week. Yay me! If you need ideas or accountability with your meal plan you need to go check out the Menu Plan Monday meme at I'm an Organizing Junkie. There are usually at least 300 participants and I must admit to getting an idea or two from some of these participants occasionally. This week though I came up with my menu plan all by myself. Here ya go...

Monday
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada (chicken helper)

Tuesday
"Sausage, potatoes and onions", green beans

Wednesday
Leftovers/Nachos (last Weds choir practice)

Thursday
Hamburger Soup

Friday
Chicken and dumplings and crusty bread

Saturday
Spaghetti

Sunday
Ham slices, mashed potatoes, carrots

Monday Mingle, November 16, 2009

2009-11-18T12:25:00.004-06:00

Okay, so as usual I'm late with my mingle. I had holy heck this week getting it to upload. YouTube must have it out for me. Once I finally got it uploaded I played with YouTube's annotation thing. It was fun but not near as fun as having say transitions and some cool effects. I'll be working on that between now and the mingle in 2 weeks.

This weeks questions were courtesy of Mat and Erin from Mrs. Cox's Slice o' Heaven.

1. Have you ever gone streaking or skinny dipping?

2. If could invite any 5 people to dinner who would it be?

3. Would you rather ... have x-ray vision or bionic hearing?

4. When you tap your fingers... do you tap index finger to pinky finger? Vice versa? Or can you do both equally well? (Note, she and her hubby both do it differently LOL - this should be interesting) Feel free to show us!

5. Would you rather ... stand 4'1 or 7'9"?

6. Yes- an extra question (submitted by Shannon) What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

I'm going to be skipping next week's mingle because being a divorced unattached female I don't have anybody to do the man's part of the questions. And seriously, what fun would it be with just my answers? If you'd like to participate just give a glance at the questions below and go link up at Jennifers site, Eighty MPH Mom

NEXT WEEK'S QUESTIONS:

We're mixing it up a bit this week - ALL ABOUT MARRIAGE/RELATIONSHIPS:
Speedy Cop would love to see the husband/partner's answers too - either via vlog or through you!

1. Men: When your spouse asks you "how does this outfit make me look" - how do you respond?

Ladies: Do you really want him to answer honestly?

2. Both: What is one thing you should always do to keep your spouse/partner happy? What do you do/say to avoid friction in your relationship?

3. Both: What were the first thoughts about your spouse/partner that came to mind when you first met him/her?

4. Both: What is your favorite physical feature of your spouse/partner?

5. Both: What are the key ingredients to a successful marriage/relationship?

6. Are you ready for more Speedy Cop movie quotes?

Can't wait to see everyone's vlogs next week...until then, have a good week.

Come Mingle with me...

2009-11-09T15:04:00.005-06:00

I'm actually going to get this up on Monday this week. Yay me!!

You'll notice during the video that you hear a ding every now and then. That's my messenger program that I forgot to mute before starting. This is also my 5th attempt at this weeks mingle questions. One way for me to limit the size of my video is to mess up 5 times...I cut it down from the original 9 minutes to about 5 minutes I think, LOL.

*Edited to say: The audio and video aren't sync'd right now...hate it when that happens.
**Edited again: Hoping I was able to sync the video and audio...we shall see.

I'm having a bunch of fun doing the Monday Mingle with Jennifer and all the other people that link up each week. Why don't you come and join us for some fun of your own? It's really easy...just click the picture at the top of this post or click HERE to go visit Jennifer at Eighty MPH Mom. Hope to see you next week!

Monday Mingle

2009-11-03T14:54:00.006-06:00

Menu Plan Monday

2009-11-02T10:49:00.005-06:00

Monday - Spaghetti w/meat sauce
Tuesday - Sausage, potatoes, & onions
Wednesday - Leftovers/Nachos
Thursday - Chicken enchiladas using this recipe
Friday - Spiced Pork Chops
Saturday - Fish sticks w/french fries
Sunday - Meatloaf

Go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie to participate or view other menu plans.

Monday Mingle - on Tuesday

2009-10-27T16:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, so yesterday I was going to do the Monday Mingle hosted by Jennifer at Eighty MPH Mom. My day ran out of hours and I had given up on even trying to post anything this week. However, Greg from Telling Dad talked me into going ahead and submitting my mingle even though it is late. I'll have you know this was in about 5 seconds and hurriedly put together so when you view it please ignore all the "uh's" and "um's" okay?

If you would like to mingle with the rest of us hop on over to Jennifer's and look at the questions for next week's Monday Mingle. That way you can have more time to prep than I did. See you there!

Planning the week

2009-10-26T14:51:00.007-05:00

I was going to do a dual purpose post today but because my day has slipped away from me i will just post my menu. Next week watch for my submission in a meme hosted by Eighty MPH Mom called Monday Mingle. I'm really trying to become more consistent about posting and thought that meeting new people while playing along with her meme would be really fun.

Without further ado here is my menu plan for the week. I'm taking the easy way out tonight and using a frozen meal kit. I am still trying to figure out exactly what I will fix on Halloween night but I'm going to try to make it frightfully delicious.

Monday - Spanish rice w/chicken & shrimp
Tuesday - Shake n Bake Chicken, broccoli w/cheese, mashed taters
Wednesday - Church night (B will eat at church, I'll snack)
Thursday - Cheeseburger macaroni, asparagus
Friday - Beef stirfry w/refried rice
Saturday - Something Halloweenish
Sunday - Not sure yet

Thanks Laura for giving me the motivation to do this. It really helps having a plan to refer to on those brain dead days. Everyone do yourself a favor and visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

My First Vlog - Casual Friday on Saturday

2009-10-24T00:35:00.003-05:00

This was originally going to be a Casual Friday vlog that I was going to link to the Casual Friday meme at Bantering Blonde. However, due to a busy day, extended upload time and the fact that I hadn't a clue what I was actually doing....it is now just my first vlog post that I had to post or chance not doing another. Facts are facts, LOL.

I am linking up to Fiona's blog Bantering Blonde because she usually hosts this meme but for some reason I was unable to find a post for her this week. Anyway, please bear that in mind while you watch this and also please ignore all the "umms" that you hear. I never said I was a public speaker.

2009-10-03T14:14:00.002-05:00

For more 6 Word Saturday participants, please go here:

Going through a lot of stuff.

Menu Plan Monday, Sept. 28 - Oct. 4

2009-09-28T16:14:00.005-05:00

Monday - Sausage, potatoes, and onions

Tuesday - Cheesy Chicken Enchilada

Wednesday - Church night!

Thursday - Shrimp Lo Mein

Friday - Spaghetti

Saturday - Chicken

Sunday - Tacos

For more great recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. There are normally at least 300 linked sites that participate in this menu plan meme and most post recipes too.

Tripping with a meal plan

2009-09-07T00:30:00.007-05:00

Well today I am busy getting things packed up for our trip to FW. We finally got our appointment time for the Bee's surgery. Tomorrow morning we'll have to be at the hospital at 6:30am! That's going to be a killer for me because I've been having trouble getting us up by 7am to get ready for school. All I can say is thank goodness for wake up calls!

We'll leave today to head towards FW, spend the night in a motel close to the hospital and then go to the hospital to check in tomorrow morning. It's estimated that the surgery, a gastrostomy and button placement, will take approximately an hour. Such a short time for such a life changing event. I'm still not totally at peace with what we are doing but I'm leaving it in His hands. I know that the Bee needs the nutrients that the extra feedings will allow but I'm having a hard time overcoming my fears of "messing with a good thing". I am also quite panicked about how this is going to affect our already "unscheduled" life. Somehow I will have to get us on a schedule and stick to it in order for this to work.

I can't give specifics about what will take place after the gastrostomy button is placed regarding feedings and care and life changes because I don't have any information yet. I get the feeling that the hospital feels it is to be given on a "need to know" basis and evidently I don't need to know yet. :)

Barring any complications, we should be on our way home Wednesday at some point. I don't know if the Bee will be able to return to school immediately or if there will be a recuperation time at home. Everyone I've talked to at the hospital and doctors office seem to feel this is a very easy procedure and that she should be able to resume normal activities fairly quickly. I hope so because it's going to be hard to keep this whirlwind contained. If anyone has any first hand knowledge of the "afters" of the surgery I would really appreciate it if you would leave me some comments. Knowledge is power right?

Because we will be out and about our meal plan is really pretty vague this week. The week will be split up between dinner away from home on Monday -Wednesday at least. Thursday through Sunday will be planned and hopefully implemented barring anything unforeseen happening.

Monday: Dinner on the road

Tuesday: Surgery Day (the Bee will eat hospital food and I'll find something)

Wednesday: Dinner on the road hopefully

Thursday: Cranberry Crock Pot Chicken (will post recipe when meal is done)

Friday: Sausage, potatoes, and onions

Saturday: Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Sunday: Chicken enchilada casserole

For more great recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. There are normally at least 300 linked sites that participate in this menu plan meme and most post recipes too.

Samantha's Saturday 9 meme

2009-09-05T00:38:00.002-05:00

1. You are walking down a rainy road. There is a five hundred dollar bill on the road. You look around and except for someone a half block away, you are alone. You naturally pick up the bill and put it away. That person approaching stops and says, "I saw you pick up that money. It's mine." You ask how much it was. She yells, "Are you calling me a liar?" What do you do?

I'd tell her no, that I just wanted to make sure that the money got back to its rightful owner and that if she didn't know how much it was that maybe she should keep better track of her money.

2. If I were to inspect your guest bathroom, how would I find it?

You would find it totally in your imagination because I only have one bathroom in my current house.

3. You are given a state of the art bow and arrow. Who or what is your first target (after a lesson or two)?

I'd have to say my first target would hopefully be a 4 point buck so I would have some venison in my freezer. That's the only reason I would want to use the bow and arrow.

4. The doorbell rings. The person at the door is wearing a raincoat and you know them. They flash you and are completely naked. Other than your S/O, who would you think would it would be and would guess you'd find that funny? Why do you guess that person and would you laugh or be pissed off?

The only person I know that would have the guts to do this would be Christy and she would probably think I would laugh. I would probably laugh if I wasn't passed out cold from shock.

5. What do you call a male Ladybug?

Um, I'd call him Lordbug? How would I know it was a male?

6. Your friends throw you a party. They've got a big national music star to come and perform. It is someone you detest. Do you make believe you like the songs or do you fess up and get the star out of the party?

I would probably make believe I enjoyed the songs but would also probably try my best to get the party and party goers to leave as quickly as possible.....somehow.

7. What's your favorite breed of wild, mean attack dogs?

I don't think I have a favorite breed of wild, mean attack dogs. I don't like any wild, mean type of dogs.

8. If I called your high school guidance counselor, what would they say about you?

Nothing probably...I had a high school guidance counselor???

9. Car A is moving at 63 miles an hour. 4 people are in the Car A. Car B is moving at 22 miles an hour. There is a driver and passenger who just came from a hotel while cheating on their spouses in Car B. They will crash into each other in exactly 3.5 minutes. What are your fun plans for this Labor day Weekend while these six people meet a brutal and gruesome death??

I'm going to be staying in the house where I'm semi safe.

For more Saturday 9 participants please go visit Crazy Sam at http://samanthasaturday9.blogspot.com

Two Words Will Do

2009-09-03T10:42:00.007-05:00

This morning BOREDmommy posted a meme on her blog and I took her up on her offer to "copy" it and post my own answers. If you want to do the same please feel free to do so and link to BOREDmommy. Let's show her a little love okay? Also, go check out her website and see how she's losing weight as the Mamavation mom.

Here’s how it works: USE ONLY TWO WORDS for each answer!
If you like, copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on.

1. Where is your cell phone? MY POCKET
2. Your hair? NEEDING WASHED
3. Your mother? TEXAS REBEL
4. Your father? YANKEE MAN
5. Your favorite food? CHINESE SEAFOOD
6. Your dream last night? DON'T DREAM
7. Your favorite drink? COCA COLA
8. Your dream/goal? OWN HOME
9. What room are you in? NARROW KITCHEN
10. Your hobby? READING ROMANCES

11. Your fear? LEAVING KIDS
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? STILL ALIVE
13. Where were you last night? AT HOME
14. Something that you aren’t? SNOBBY PRETENDER
15. Muffins? FRESH BAKED
16. Wish list item? OWN HOME
17. Where did you grow up? IN TEXAS
18. Last thing you did? I HUMMED
19. What are you wearing? MY CLOTHES
20. Your TV? BLESSEDLY QUIET

21. Your pets? BOTH SLEEPING
22. Friends? MOSTLY ONLINE
23. Your life? SIMPLE CHAOS
24. Your mood? ANXIOUSLY WAITING
25. Missing someone? MY OLDEST
26. Vehicle? TOTALLY FREE
27. Something you’re not wearing? A WATCH
28. Your favorite store? BEST BUY
29. Your favorite color? LIGHT PURPLE
30. When was the last time you laughed? THIS MORNING

31. Last time you cried? TUESDAY NIGHT
32. Your best friend? MY COUSIN
33. One place that I go to over and over? GROCERY STORE
34. One person who emails me regularly? NO ONE
35. Favorite place to eat? NOT HOME

Thanks Maria!

Progress, however slow

2009-08-27T23:11:00.002-05:00

Just a small update today to let everyone know that Rebecca's surgery will be done on September 8, 2009. I'm still waiting on one of the doctors to call me back to answer some questions I have but it looks like we'll be traveling on Labor Day.

On another note, school started Monday and so far we've had 4 fantastic mornings as far as getting dressed to go to school is concerned. Last year every morning was a battle due to issues regarding sensitivity to the clothing she wore. This year so far we've had no battles and hopefully things will continue in this wonderful way. We also, just this morning, started putting her on the bus instead of me having to drive her to school each day. She really enjoys riding the bus so this is a blessing for both of us.

Hopefully I'll have more information regarding the surgery and aftermath of the surgery soon. Thanks for all the good thoughts!

Buzz, buzz, buzz like a Bee

2009-08-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

In March of 2001 I gave birth to my second daughter Rebecca. I affectionately call her the Bee. That nickname is suitable because she is always buzzing around just like a bee. However, when she was born I thought she resembled a drowned squirrel more than a bee. You see, Rebecca was born 9 weeks premature and weighed only 2 pounds 7.3 ounces. At 14 ½ inches she was only slightly longer than a ruler. Her little body was basically nothing but skin and bones.

Needless to say she was not released from the hospital immediately. It was actually five long weeks before Rebecca was able to come home. During those five weeks the NICU staff watched over my baby very closely for any complications that might show up but the only problem my Bee had was in gaining weight. She was able to maintain her body temperature early on, was off of tube feedings by the time she was 2 weeks old, and for the most part had the suck/swallow/breathe thing down good.

When they finally decided that it was time for Rebecca to come home, they sent her home weighing 4 pounds 3.5 ounces. She came home from the hospital at 5 weeks of age weighing less than my oldest daughter did when she was born. Weight gain has therefore always been a big issue. At one year of age Rebecca weighed in at 12 pounds 12 ounces. At the age of two she finally hit the 20 pound mark only to get sick with serious vomiting, fever, and diarrhea for over a week. During that week she lost over 2 pounds and we started the weight gain battle all over again.

Rebecca is now 8 years old and has just recently been labeled as a “failure to thrive” child. Her doctor, out of concern for her weight or lack of, referred us to a children’s hospital for testing to determine if there was a reason why she was not gaining weight. His concern was based on the fact that even though she is 8 years old and is 3’10” tall, she only weighs 34 pounds. This might seem shocking to some and you might even ask why nothing was done up to this point. What you can’t know without knowing Rebecca is that the weight issue aside, she is a perfectly healthy little girl. She rarely gets sick even with a common cold. She is a very rambunctious girl, very mischievous, and very active. She is now and always has been my buzzing Bee.

The testing done by the people at the children’s hospital has yielded no reason why Rebecca can’t gain weight. Because they can find no reason, they have decided that Rebecca should now have a gastrostomy button or G button placed so that she can receive feedings of high calorie nutritional supplements directly into her stomach to see if this will help her gain weight. The estimated time span for her to have this G button is about 1 ½ years. They are hoping to get her weight up to the normal range for a child of her age and height.

As time goes on I will be posting updates as to what is going on regarding her G button and how it is affecting her weight and our life.

My Makeover

2009-08-20T00:42:00.003-05:00

For anyone who has been to visit before, please excuse the mess. I'm in the midst of blog overhaul so things are going to look different for a few days.

Please come back to visit and see all the changes that I make. You never know what is going to be the gossip talk of the day.

Menu Plan Monday (on Tuesday)

2009-08-11T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm so far off track as far as posting to this blog goes. I've been enjoying something that doesn't happen too often in this house. I've had a total of 4 completely kid free days.

The Bee has been with her daddy since Friday evening and I've basically been cleaning sporadically, tweeting occasionally, web surfing frequently and chatting with friends most of the time. I've also been exploring two new places on the web that have quickly become almost addictions with me. Those two places are MomTV and Blog Talk Radio . Being the geeky, wannabe techno mom I am, I've also been dabbling in learning to use my webcam. I'm kind of camera shy and hesitate to broadcast my webcam but I have been overcoming that lately.

Tomorrow I will be making a trip back to the doctors office that the Bee has been seeing lately. I am hoping that all the extra calories we've been piling on her have stuck and maybe she will have gained enough weight to stave off any further attempts to increase her weight. I know that I'm kind of leaving everyone who does not know us in real life in the lurch with that bit of information but I hope to fill everyone in soon. For now, just send good vibes our direction please.

Since she will be home tomorrow I need to lay out at least a vague menu plan for the rest of the week. We'll need to go grocery shopping soon but for now this is what is on our menu for the rest of the week.

Wednesday - probably tv dinners picked up on the way home

Thursday - Ham and scalloped potatoes

Friday - Spaghetti w/meat sauce

Saturday - Fried chicken w/mashed potatoes

Sunday - Pizza (probably frozen from grocery)

For more meal ideas and just plain useful organizational information go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Royal Mess Up

2009-08-08T23:58:00.002-05:00

Well, I messed up already. I didn't make a post yesterday. I don't guess that I survived the NaBloPoMo challenge this month. That's ok, I'll try again next month.In the meantime, I'll continue to try to post daily from here on out.

It's late for me so I'm going to go to bed now and tomorrow I'll catch up on the last 2 days worth of business. Good night!

My Little Doodlebug

2009-08-06T21:16:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I participated in Wordless Wednesday sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom. You can view the photo I posted here. Since it was Wordless Wednesday I didn't put any details with the picture but I thought it might be nice to do that today.

The absolutely adorable little man in the picture posted yesterday is my grandson Doodlebug. In that picture he was 1 week old. The picture below was taken when he was 3 months old. He is now 4 1/2 months old and is just as cute.

Doodlebug is my first grandchild. I'm kind of proud of him. ~smile~ I'm even prouder of his mom, KatyDid, for all that she has gone thru, is going thru and hopefully won't have to go thru in the future. She is my oldest daughter at the age of 20, almost 21, and I am so very proud of her.

Anyway, that's my explanation for yesterday's post. Now that I've blogged about them once, I'm sure I will again. It's kind of like once the lock is taken off the gate...the cows all follow one another through easily. ~grin~

Back to your regularly scheduled programming....

Wordless Wednesday - Sweet Dreams

2009-08-05T09:38:00.004-05:00

I am participating in the Wordless Wednesday meme hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom .

Another day in the life

2009-08-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

I'm having a very hard time coming up with something to blog about daily. I did what will probably be a stupid thing...I signed up at NaBloPoMo and committed to posting at least once a day for this whole month.

My problem with this is that I don't have an exciting life. My day today consisted of going over to a friends house to help clean her moms apartment. I also paid my rent. Other than that my day was spent at home doing general housework, taking care of and interacting with my daughter the Bee, and chatting with friends online.

My life is very boring and humdrum for the most part. I do have a few things coming up that are not run of the mill things but again they are not exciting things at all. Next week I have to take the Bee to a follow up doctors appointment to see if she has gained any weight. This isn't a local trip, it's actually to a childrens hospital about 145 miles away. We're hoping she's gained some weight because if not the next option they are going to put before us is that of having a G button put in to allow for direct feedings in hopes of her gaining weight.

This post isn't really much to read I guess, but it's my life right now. I will try to post another entry soon to fill in the gaps as to why the Bee is underweight and how we've come to this point in her health journey. For tonight, I am fighting a sinus infection and do believe that everything else can wait until tomorrow.

Menu Plan Monday, August 3rd - 9th

2009-08-03T23:42:00.000-05:00

I totally blew it on following the menu last week. We did have spaghetti on Monday but that was the only day we followed the menu. I did fix my meatloaf but not until Saturday. We didn't eat the chicken at all. Fish sticks were on Friday I believe. The pork chops did get fixed but not until Thursday. I basically just covered them well in lemon pepper and threw them in a skillet to brown really well. Surprisingly that was the one meat this week that the Bee asked for again.

This week I'm only planning for Monday through Friday because if everything goes like I hope it will, the Bee's dad will be to get her and take her somewhere else for 4 days. Wow! Four whole days of silence. Unique concept! LOL, I really do love my kid guys, but sometimes I just need to get a break.

Monday - TV Dinners (were at friends late)
Tuesday - Chicken that makes its own gravy
Wednesday - Chicken Quesadillas and Nachos
Thursday - Hamburger Helper (It's quick and she likes it.)
Friday - BBQ Beef Cups or Sloppy Joes
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Leftovers

Normally,Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. This week though , it's being hosted at The Happy Housewife. I suggest you check both sites if you feel like your meals need a boost or even if you just want a "ton" of sites to explore. Happy week everyone!

Those Dreaded Days of Summer

2009-08-02T17:51:00.001-05:00

All summer I've looked forward to the beginning of the school year. I've enjoyed the mornings I was able to sleep late and I've enjoyed the nice easy flow of the summer days we've had so far. But now, for me anyways, the most dreaded days of summer are here. Tomorrow we begin our yearly "return to school" routine.

Each year I promise myself that I'm not going to go through the torture again. I promise myself that the Bee will maintain her normal school routine even through the summer. And each year, I fail to keep my promise. There's just something about the peace and quiet that exists when the Bee gets to sleep in late. Call it self preservation, call it procrastination, call it whatever you will. I enjoy letting the Bee sleep in because it allows me to have a bit of time totally uninterrupted by calls of "Momma, help me please." or "Look at this Mommy". It's nice being able to hear silence for that short period of time before she wakes up. I soak it up like a sponge because I know that the second she wakes up there will be no silence again until after she goes to sleep that night.

So yes, we are there again....those dreaded days. The days when I have to resume enforcing a bedtime that has fallen by the wayside. The days when I have to insist on her actually getting up and getting dressed first thing of a morning. The days when I have to say, "No, we can't be out until midnight because you have to get up in the morning." I dread these days of summer...I really do.

But in the same moment that I am dreading these days, I also anticipate them with glee. Knowing that there are only 3 weeks left until she goes to school and has more structure in her day. More interaction between herself and her peers. More lengthy periods of silence to be enjoyed by me.

Ahhh, those dreaded days of summer....

Menu Plan Monday, July 27-August 2, 2009

2009-07-27T23:35:00.001-05:00

For some reason this summer seems to be interminably long. I can’t tell you how many times, just in the last week, I’ve said a quick wish for school to start soon. I love my youngest daughter, the Bee, but it seems like she has no “off” switch. I never realized how sweet silence can actually be.

I’ve also been missing my oldest daughter, KatyDid, lately. KatyDid and her son, Doodlebug, are about 8 hours from me and I can’t help but feel that Doodlebug will be grown by the time I get to see him again. I’m missing all the changes that babies go thru in their first year and just hope that I get the opportunity to do some hugging and kissing really soon.

This week, our meal plan is pretty general in that I don’t have specific recipes picked yet to go with the meat choice for each day. I’ll try to come back and do an update post to let you know which recipes I chose. In the meantime, why don’t you go and check out Laura’s Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie. With over 300 participants each week, there’s sure to be a recipe or two you’ll like.

Monday -	Spaghetti
Tuesday -	Pork chops
Wednesday -	Chicken
Thursday -	Fish sticks
Friday -	Meatloaf ( from the freezer)
Saturday -	Leftovers
Sunday -	Ham Steak

Menu Plan Monday, July 13-19, 2009

2009-07-13T20:37:00.003-05:00

I'm trying really hard to get back into being accountable regarding meal planning. I do well planning things but seldom am able to follow through on those plans. Point in fact, I've
already shuffled things around on my original meal plan for this week due to forgetting to thaw things and because of a kind friend who offered us dinner while we were at her house today.

Let's hope that for the rest of this week's meal plan I'll be able to stick to it pretty closely.

Monday - Dinner at friends

Tuesday - We'll be out of town for a follow up doctor's visit

Wednesday – Myron's Crockpot Chicken

Thursday – Meatloaf (in the crockpot)

Friday - Fish sticks w/mac & cheese

Saturday - Grill Day

Sunday – Unplanned or leftovers

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie .

Where'd my wagon go?

2009-06-26T17:45:00.002-05:00

I fell off of it a while back and have been hunting it ever since. ~wink~

I will hopefully be able to inventory my food supply this weekend and get my menu ready for Menu Plan Monday. I also want to start posting more regularly but my life is so boring sometimes, most times, it's hard to come up with topics. I'll do my best though.

Anyway for now I'm wishing anyone who reads this a wonderful weekend!

2009-02-17T12:56:00.003-06:00

This weeks menu plan reflects the "hectic" week I see in front of me. I'm taking the easy route and don't even feel guilty about doing so. Here it is...my "glorious" plan for the week...

Monday - Rotisserie Chicken (store bought, along with the mashed potatoes and canned gravy)
Tuesday - Fish sticks with macaroni & cheese
Wednesday – Leftover chicken from Monday somehow
Thursday – Sonic Drive In (school program tonight)
Friday - Kentucky Fried Chicken (will get this on the way home from our afternoon of appointments)
Saturday - Pork Roast, oven baked carrots and potatoes (has been in freezer for a while)
Sunday – Spaghetti

If you too need some organization in your life, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today.

Menu Plan Monday, February 2nd - 8th

2009-02-01T11:00:00.010-06:00

I missed a week or two of planning my menus and boy, can I tell the difference. I never thought that just planning my menus for the week would be such a big help, but seriously, try it. It is so nice to know that just that small portion of my life is more or less under control.

Monday - Turkey Spaghetti

Tuesday - Fish sticks with macaroni & cheese

Wednesday – Baked potatoes with the fixin's

Thursday – Pan Pierogi

Friday - Take out or TV dinners

Saturday - not sure, could be a "The Daddy" weekend

Sunday – Pork roast, oven baked carrots and potatoes

If you too need some organization in your life, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today.

Menu Plan Monday, January 12-18, 2009

2009-01-11T19:34:00.005-06:00

This past week I shuffled many meals around and replaced some with other things too. That’s why you’ll see a few on this week’s menu that were there last week.

Most of the meals this week are linked to the source recipe. One of these days I’ll be posting the recipes here on my site. Right now this is just easier, and I’m all about easy.

Monday - Creamy Burrito Casserole

Tuesday - Pan Pierogi

Wednesday – Chicken Quesadillas

Thursday – Meat nachos with Spanish rice

Friday - Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

Saturday - Tuna Patties with Ranch Dressing

Sunday – Unplanned or leftovers

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today!

Menu Plan Monday, January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T09:07:00.002-06:00

Well, we are officially back into the swing of things. That long awaited day is today. The day when the B child is back in school! It was a long break this time, not so much in the measure of time as in the measure of patience. Mine was wearing pretty thin. I am totally in awe of anyone who has the patience to homeschool their children.

Many of the meals on this week’s plan are carryovers from last week that did not get prepared. It is helping to at least have a plan even if that plan does change. So menu planning will continue in this house.

Monday - Beef Tips served with rice and a lettuce salad

Tuesday - Hot Dog Casserole

Wednesday - Creamy Burrito Casserole

Thursday - Creamy Chicken/turkey Enchiladas, refried beans and Spanish rice

Friday - Pan Pierogi, (courtesy of La Mia Cucina)

Saturday - Baked potatos w/fixins or Pennsylvania Dutch soup w/rivels if cold weather sets in again

Sunday – Lefotvers or any “shifted” meals depending on how many people are in the house,

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today!

Menu Plan Monday, December 29 - January 3, 2008

2008-12-28T23:47:00.007-06:00

Still plodding along on the menu planning road. I've hit some roadblocks (like not being able to plan b'fasts and lunches very well) but I'm still putting one foot in front of the other.

This week I'm trying to be successful at following through on only the main dinner item. If I can do that I'll be happy. Also, most of our meals this week are "new" recipes although some of them are basically old favorites using someone else's recipe that I will most likely scale down. We'll see how that works out.

Monday - Bourbon Chicken, will probably serve over rice..not sure about veggies yet
Tuesday - Creamy Burrito Casserole
Wednesday - Hot Dog Casserole Not sure what with this...
Thursday - Creamy Chicken Enchiladas only I'll be using turkey and will probably do spanish rice with this.
Friday - Tuna Patties haven't got a clue...maybe macaroni and cheese?
Saturday - Beef Tips with rice probably...unsure about veggies.
Sunday - YoYo (leftovers) or out to eat

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today!

Menu Plan Monday, December 22 - 28, 2008

2008-12-21T23:39:00.004-06:00

This week's menu will need to utilize things I have in my freezer because I was blessed with 2 turkeys and will need to freeze one of them. Since I only have the freezer above my fridge I need to make room in it for the extra turkey.

Monday -

B'fast - Bacon & eggs
Lunch - Alphabet Soup w/crackers
Dinner - Hamburgers

Tuesday -

B'fast - Cold Cereal
Lunch - Ramen Noodles
Dinner - Chicken Cordon Bleu

Wednesday -

B'fast - Bacon, eggs, and toast
Lunch -
Dinner - Spaghetti w/garlic toast

Thursday - Christmas Menu

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday -

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today!

Menu Plan Monday, December 15 - 21, 2008

2008-12-15T23:36:00.002-06:00

Okay, I've come up with a meal plan but it only actually includes Monday through Thursday regarding dinner plans. The Daddy is coming to get youngest daughter on Friday immediately after she gets out of school and is taking her for the weekend. They won't be back until sometime Sunday afternoon.

Monday - BBQ biscuit cups (using leftover meatloaf), mac & cheese, green beans
Tuesday - Oven Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes w/gravy, glazed carrots
Wednesday - Spaghetti (using the rest of the leftover meatloaf), salad, garlic bread
Thursday - Tuna patties, broccoli w/cheese, breadsticks
Friday - on my own (Thinking about going to see 7 Pounds at the movies)
Saturday - on my own
Sunday - Chicken & dumplings, buttered bread

For more meal plans and many, many linked recipes, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie today!

Menu Plan Monday, December 8 - 14, 2008

2008-12-08T23:35:00.001-06:00

I have been posting my menu plans in a sort of hit and miss fashion. I have noticed that on the “hit” occasions I tend to eat at home more often and probably save money by doing so. Not only that, but it definitely lowers my stress level when I have a menu plan for the week in place.

Eventually I would like to be able to post an update concerning how well I actually follow the posted menu plans but that may not be for a while yet. For now though I am content with the peace menu planning gives me and I’m so grateful to have found Laura’s website.

For more meal planning ideas and some delicious recipes, go see Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie!

Monday - Meatloaf

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans

Tuesday - Oven Fried Chicken

Macaroni & cheese

Wednesday - Honeymoon German Skillet Dinner

Thursday - Tuna Patties

Broccoli w/cheese

Friday - Sausage, potatoes & onions

Saturday - Chicken and dumplings

Sunday - nothing planned

Menu Plan Monday, Thanksgiving edition

2008-11-24T23:33:00.001-06:00

This week is all about Thanksgiving at our house. I will only be cooking for 2 adults and a seven year old girl so my serving sizes are not huge. Our meal plan for Thanksgiving is basically the same menu we use each year except for the addition of a cornbread dressing this year.

Advance preparation for Thanksgiving is a real life saver for me because inevitably I end up with not enough pans, dishes etc, to fix everything in on the big day. I will make the mashed potatoes on either Tuesday or Wednesday and put them in a crockpot on Wednesday to stay warm while everything is cooking. My gravy will be the Make Ahead Gravy from Budget 101.com . I will also be making the pumpkin pies (from the Libby's recipe) and the Mud Cake on Wednesday.

The daughter child will be out of school starting Wednesday through the weekend. That's the reason why breakfast and lunch are planned for those days in addition to dinner.

If you need ideas for meals or just want to cruise the blogosphere, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday, 24th
Dinner - Fish sticks
mac & cheese
Tuesday, 25th
Dinner - Schwan's Chicken Enchiladas
Spanish Rice
Refried beans
Wednesday, 26th
B'fast - Cold cereal
Lunch-Ramen noodles
Dinner - Pigs in a blanket
mac & cheese
Thursday, 27th
Thanksgiving Dinner
Friday, 28th
B'fast - Pancakes
Lunch-Soup/sandwich
Dinner - Leftovers
Saturday, 29th
B'fast - Eggs and toast
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Hamburger Potato casserole
Sunday, 30th
B'fast - Cereal
Lunch - PB&J sandwiches
Dinner - Chicken & Dumpllings
(my moms recipe)

As always, this meal plan is subject to change.

Menu Plan for November 17-23, 2008

2008-11-16T23:27:00.002-06:00

I was doing really well with keeping on a meal plan when I was posting my weekly menus on Laura's Menu Plan Monday carnival. I've gotten into the habit of saying, "I'm tired and don't feel like cooking." or "We're not gonna be home until late so let's grab something to eat out.". This has got to stop so here I go again.

If you need ideas for meals or just want to cruise the blogosphere, go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday, 17th
Fried Chicken, mashed taters and gravy
Tuesday, 18th Dr. Pepper Taco Soup
Wednesday, 19th
Fish sticks, macaroni & cheese
Thursday, 20th Hamburger Potato Casserole
Friday, 21st Sausage potatoes and onions
Saturday, 22nd
Chicken and Dumplings, garlic bread
Sunday, 23rd Undecided

The two linked recipes are new to us and I will post a follow up review once we've had them. The garlic bread will be made from a loaf of Schwan's frozen bread dough that's been in the freezer for a while. Sunday is being left as undecided because this is a "The Daddy" weekend and we may go out on either Saturday or Sunday. If we go out on Saturday the chicken and dumplings will be made on Sunday instead.

As always, this meal plan is subject to change.

Menu Plan Monday, September 22 - 28, 2008

2008-09-22T12:54:00.008-05:00

Last week was an eventful one. I celebrated a birthday and went to a local fair. The first fair I've been to in many years. It was more fun I think because I got to go with my youngest daughter. The last time was when I was still in high school, LOL.

Anyway, this week as usual we'll be eating chicken, smoked sausage, and hamburger meat mostly. It's one of those things where you have to use what's in your freezer instead of going to buy it at the store. We'll make it, but it might be very boring.Since this is family favorite week at I'm an Organized Junkie's, check out the Tuesday meal. The linked recipe is as close to how I do it as I could find online. Sorry I didn't have time to type my own version up but it's even more simple than the one I linked. Hope you enjoy!

Monday

Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread

Tuesday

**Sausage, potatoes and onions skillet**, a green veggie, probably green beans

Wednesday

Leftover fried chicken for Dd, sandwich for me

we'll eat salad probably with this

Thursday

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday

Crockpot BBQ chicken

Saturday

Smoked sausage with cabbage, egg noodles

Sunday

Leftovers or hamburger casserole

If you need help with planning your menus and would like to check out some fantastic blogs, just go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She'll head you in the right direction.

Meal Plan Monday, September 15 – 21, 2008

2008-09-16T08:07:00.005-05:00

Well I missed last week and the week before. Last week it was because I didn't have a clue from day to day what we would have to eat. The week before that it was just because I couldn't plan what we would do with the food we had.

This week we have hamburger meat and chicken drumsticks to work with along with a package or two of wieners. So this is what I came up with for this week. Friday is my birthday but I will still have to cook plus we have an afternoon appointment which will put us home a little later than normal. Saturday I intend to have a birthday dinner out somewhere on someone else's dime. We'll see, LOL

If my menu plan is too tame for your tastes then make sure and visit Laura, at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She has quite a following and I'm sure out of the over 300 participants in her meme you can find something to satisfy your palate.

Monday

Brinner (Eggs, breakfast links, toast)

Tuesday

Crocked Chicken Legs

Wednesdays

Tacos

Thursday

Pigs in a Blanket, mac & cheese

Friday

Chicken legs somehow

Saturday

Out to eat

Sunday

Not a clue

Tetrazzinni for Two

2008-09-02T17:46:00.002-05:00

I will have to find the source I used for this. I'll make a note as to where I found it when I find it, LOL

Tetrazzini for Two
Note: May be made 1 day ahead.

1 T. flour1
1T. butter
1 c milk
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ t paprika
¼ t dry mustard
Few drops onion juice
1 t. lemon juice
2 c. cooked chicken, cut in pieces
¾ c cooked spaghetti
½ c chopped fresh mushrooms
2 T. butter
¼ lb. grated Parmesan cheese (may substitute Cheddar)
¾ c butter bread crumbs (OK if not buttered!)

Make a medium white sauce of the flour, butter, milk and salt. Add the pepper, paprika, mustard and onion & lemon juices to the white sauce and heat to the boiling point. Add chicken, spaghetti and mushrooms which have been sautéed in the butter. Fill 2 individual greased casseroles or one larger casserole with the mixture and top with cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the crumbs are very brown and ingredients are warmed through.

Menu Plan Monday, September 1 - 7, 2008

2008-09-02T09:32:00.011-05:00

Well, summer is finally over. Thank heavens! LOL, it was a long summer for me. Dd is back in school as of last week, and I am finished with my courses and am now waiting to become a graduate instead of a pending graduate. Next up is to find a job that will work with the hours I am available to work.

I'm late with my meal plan but only with the posting part. I've known what I was going to have for a week plus, but kept hoping that I would be able to vary it a little more. No such luck. It's chicken again for us this week.

As usual it's just the dinner meal because I scrounge around when I get hungry through the day and Dd is in school. The weekend should see the arrival of the Daddy so I'm not planning beyond Saturday night. So without further ado, here is this week's menu for our household. Because the daughter is sick this is subject to change. I don't like to cook for just myself so if her throat is too sore it may be sandwiches the rest of the week.

Monday

Sandwich for me, Cup of noodles for Dd

since she has a sore throat.

Tuesday

Tetrazinni for Two

Wednesday

Weiner casserole

Thursday

Cabbage casserole

Friday

Crustless spinach quiche

Saturday

Chicken & dumplings

Sunday

Leftovers

If you need help with planning your menus and would like to check out some fantastic blogs, just go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She'll head you in the right direction.

Menu Plan Monday August 18-24, 2008

2008-08-17T00:43:00.013-05:00

**Edited to say: Somehow my link at Laura's site says I have links. That is not the case this week...I apologize to anyone who came expecting to see links. Also, somehow I got bumped from #130 to #147 on the Mr. Linky thing...go figure!

One more week until school starts! Yes I am counting the days for more than one reason. My daughter will return to school on the 25th, but I will also, hopefully, finish my degree program on the 24th!

It's been a long two years during which time I've endured having to deal with homework and the stress from college classes at the same time that I had to care for my daughter. In the beginning, when I first returned to college, my older daughter was still at home. She has since joined the National Guard, moved out, gotten married and moved about 6 hours away from me.

I hope now that I will be able to be the more fun loving mom my daughters deserve. One that is not constantly stressed about "passing this class", one that has the time and the relaxed mental ability to enjoy the simple pleasures my youngest daughter sees in everyday occurences.

As for me, I will be rejoining the workforce which should prove to be an interesting adventure. Hopefully my life and the lives of my family members will prosper from the excruciatingly long endeavor of the past 2 years. It seems like the only thing resembling meat that I have in my house right now is chicken and weiners. This should be an interesting week, LOL

Monday - Green Chili Chicken (postponed from last week)
Tuesday - ~~Weiners somehow~~ Smoked Sausage and cabbage
Wednesday - Shake N Bake chicken
Thursday - Sandwiches n chips (Meet n Greet at the school)
Friday - Chicken Tacos
Saturday - Hot dogs/chili dogs (if needed) The Daddy is supposed to be here
Sunday - don't have the foggiest yet...

If you would like to have a little bit of organization in your life, hop on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie and see what she has to offer.

Menu Plan Monday, Aug 11-17, 2008

2008-08-10T23:12:00.012-05:00

I can't believe it!! Only two more weeks until school starts! Sorry, it's been an extremely long and stressful summer. I love my daughter a bunch but it is truly best that she starts back to school soon.

I would truly love to get some ideas on a tuna casserole or that type meal. I would use the oven at least once but I would prefer crockpot or microwave casseroles. I'm also drawing a blank as to what to do with the smoked sausage. I usually do a sausage, potatoes and onion dish but have no potatos or onions right now.

For more menu ideas you definitely will want to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Monday - Chicken Pineapple Oriental (Time got away from me, dd7 had fish sticks and mac & cheese, I had leftovers)
Tuesday - Smoked sausage somehow (fixed the Chicken Pineapple Oriental)
Wednesday - YoYo night (translate that into leftovers) (Tuna casserole)
Thursday - Tuna Casserole (anyone got a good recipe using canned tuna?) (Rotisserie Chicken)
Friday - Green Chile Chicken (Leftover chicken with california blend veggies)
Saturday - Hot dogs on the grill (if The Daddy comes up)Didn't happen...Smoked sausage skillet meal
Sunday - Banquet Fried Chicken, sides to be determined (mini corn on the cob, mashed potatoes)

Menu Plan August 4-10, 2008

2008-08-04T09:56:00.008-05:00

I'm back again with my menu plan. "Plan" is the key word in that sentence. So far I've been unable to follow my menu plan through the whole week. So if you've been here before that's why you'll see some of the same things on this week's plan again. They are meals that should have been but weren't.

I hope to be able to become consistent about following at least the planned main dish each day of the week. Once I've got that mastered I'll start working on planning sides etc. As always, things are subject to rearrangement or cancellation regarding this week's menu.

I've seen variations of the Creamy Chicken Spaghetti floating around the internet but the original version of the one I will fix comes from the 30 Day Gourmet site. I will be modifying it by adding a can of RoTel.

Monday - Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
Tuesday - Chili dogs/Hot dogs w/mac & cheese
Wednesday - Kittencal's Garlic Fried Chicken Breast
Thursday - Beefaroni
Friday - C.O.R.N. (leftovers)
Saturday - Tacos
Sunday - Mom's Chicken (modified to suit ingredients on hand)

We are working on a very tight budget this week and probably the rest of the month so things are going to have to be cheap, easy and cool due to the 105+ degree days we are having.

For more menu ideas you definitely will want to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan Monday, July 28 – August 3

2008-07-28T14:29:00.017-05:00

I missed posting last week and I can sure tell it in that we ate whatever we could find. Not a good thing.

My newest "battle" in the menu planning quest is that I've been told that I need to put my youngest child on a high calorie diet due to her issues with below normal weight. In addition to a high calorie diet I've been instructed to purchase PediaSure and give her at minimum one can a day. The weight battle has been something we've been dealing with since her birth 7 years ago. Due to her being born 9 weeks early she has always been below average but she lost 3 pounds in the last 3 months. Not a good thing.

Since I already have this weeks menu planned and since I won't be able to get the PediaSure until the weekend, I'm going to be needing input from readers with ideas for what to feed a 7 year old that is high calorie but not just totally empty calorie foods. If you have any suggestions please, please, please leave me a comment.

I'll be linking up some of the recipes soon. For more menu ideas go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Monday

Creamy chicken spaghetti served with garlic bread and salad

Tuesday

Chili dogs/Hot dogs served with macaroni and cheese

Wednesday

Hamburger stroganoff served with salad and bread

Thursday

Roast Chicken served with peas and mashed potatoes with gravy

Friday

Tuna patties/Fish sticks served with french fries if I get to run by the store
before dinner, if not then I'll do macaroni and cheese (Anyone got any
suggestions for a veggie besides taters?)

Saturday

Yo Yo night
The daddy man is supposed to be here to spend time with DD. If so then I'll munch on leftovers if they go somewhere and if not then I'll use the leftover from Thursday's chicken to make a casserole or something.

Sunday

Smoked sausage and weiners on the grill served on buns with either baked potatoes or the infamous macaroni and cheese again, LOL

Win a Free Land's End Backpack

2008-07-27T11:32:00.003-05:00

Do you have a first day of school memory that just sticks in your brain? Do you have a need for a backpack? If so, go over to Owlhaven's blog and enter to win a Land's End backpack! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with your favorite back to school story on her blog and then post the contest on yours!

If you'd like to do some shopping at Land's End, she's also got a free shipping code for you, good through July 30th.

Menu Plan Monday, July 14-20

2008-07-13T16:06:00.009-05:00

I'm hoping that I can get my kid interested in veggies again. It seems that she has no taste for anything except french fries anymore. I'm not sure what I will be fixing vegetable wise but will try to update through the week with what we end up eating.

For more menu ideas go see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

**editted to say** I just remembered that I will be having company this weekend so there will be some modifications made in my menu plan.

Monday - Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad (stayed on track)
Tuesday - Weiners and mac & cheese (stayed on track)
Wednesday - Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti (lacked all ingredients) fixed Chicken breasts with stovetop dressing and peas
Thursday - Meatloaf (from the freezer), mashed potatoes, gravy
Friday - Chicken scallopine (Sonic for dd8, leftover meatloaf for me)
Saturday - Hamburger helper cheeseburger macaroni (leftover spaghetti for dd8, meatloaf for me)
Sunday - Sausage, potatoes & onions, spinach

2008-04-30T16:07:00.002-05:00

This is my baby in her school picture.

Yet another month

2007-12-28T23:10:00.000-06:00

has gone by without a post from me. So much has gone on in that month too!

Thanksgiving and Christmas have both come and gone and New Years is rounding the corner. As quickly as the holidays slid by so too has my life in this town. I will be leaving here on New Years Day to begin my life in another Texas town. I will be at minimum 200 miles away from any family and will only know one other family in that town other than my own. Talk about a leap of faith!

I'm am currently on winter break from school but will start up again on January 7th. I'm sure that January will be a busy month for me also so I will warn you now not to expect a post from me then. It's not likely too many people read my blog anyway, but on the off chance that there is more than the one person I know of, warning is hereby given.

I hope that the New Year treats all of us with kindness. Happy early New Years!

Hey, I'm alive...

2007-11-23T20:23:00.000-06:00

I told you in my last post that I would try to be more consistent in updating. Well, as usual, I had good intentions but living life took precedent.

So much going on in my personal life which makes too much to occupy my mind. What is sad is that I can't even post about most of it for fear of someone reading this blog that would be hurt by its contents. Suffice it to say that my mind is on overload right now and will hopefully be able to handle it all.

Anyway, yesterday was Thanksgiving for me and mine. We had a small family get together and ate entirely too much. Today it's back to the normal routine here at home and is so cold. Day before yesterday we dropped from about 77 degrees down to around 44 degrees in a span of about 3 hours. Brrr!! Winter is truly here I suppose.

I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving Day yesterday had a wonderful day and plenty of time to reflect on what they were thankful for. It's a shame that we only truly do this on one day of the year.

I warned you!

2007-10-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Way back at the beginning of this blog I warned you that I was not always consistent in the frequency of updates. Well, see.....I didn't lie, LOL

Yes, I have been alive during the past few months. I'm sure that there were probably things that I should have blogged about during that time. But life has a way of moving at warp speed and before you know it you are in a different time completely. I hope that any readers I might have, although I doubt that is many, are not too disappointed in me.

I promise from this day forward to do my best to update this blog more frequently even if it is just to say, Hey, I'm alive!

Could you use $2500.00???

2007-08-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

I can! That's the reason for my post tonight.

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

According to the blogsite, the drawing will be on Aug. 20th. I'm not sure how the process of choosing a winner goes or for that matter how Ashwin will know who is participating, but I figure you can't win if you don't play, right?

Have a happy Friday everyone!

5 Minutes for Mom giveaway!! Check it out!

2007-07-29T18:50:00.000-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to enter several giveaways from blog owners who were participating in the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway sponsored by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer

Unfortunately I didn't win any of the prizes but I have found a new past time! I have become quite fascinated with blog carnivals! As a result of this fascination I can totally foresee a more involved blog owner coming your way, LOL

During my rounds today I discovered (thanks for the tip Laura) that 5 Minutes for Mom is sponsoring a giveaway with an Insignia 37" Flat-Panel LCD HDTV as the prize, courtesy of Best Buy. You should check it out!

An Apology!

2007-07-27T10:20:00.000-05:00

First of all, I would like to apologize for the HUGE gap between my posts. I really intended to maintain some consistency when I started this blog. LOL, so much for good intentions.

As an atonement and by way of explanation let me tell you the things that have been going on since you last heard from me. I have packed up and moved house, given away a dog, lost another dog to a moving vehicle, and had a child return home.

Due to the condition of the house I was living in I made the executive decision to move to another house although it meant more money going out each month on rent. There have been times since the end of June that I have rethought that decision but still feel I did the right thing. Time will tell...

The adorable chihuahua I talked about in my last post now has another family to love her. With the move taking place and all of the coming and going in my house I felt it was unfair for her to be penned up as much as she was so I found her a home where she gets more attention. I will miss her! On the same day I took her to her new owner, my outside dog slipped out of her collar (we hadn't had a chance to put up a fence yet) and tried to follow us. She is now waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge, :( She too will be missed dearly!

Most recently, my oldest has had to come home from Basic Training. She is currently home on medical leave. Due to foot issues she has been sent home to recuperate and has up to a year to resume and complete Basic Training. Although I know she hates this I am secretly glad. Don't get me wrong...I'm very proud of her and want her to be happy, but I know that the longer it takes her to complete her training, the longer it will be before she is eligible to be sent overseas. Call me greedy if you must...

Anyway, in a nutshell, that is what has been happening in my life. Advancing quickly is the first day in a new school for my youngest along with the upheaval of trying to arrange things in this house for 3 instead of 2 and my impending return to college within 3 weeks. Life just keeps coming at me full force, LOL...and you know what? I love it!!

Just cuttin' up...

2007-06-07T23:07:00.000-05:00

My baby got her hair cut today!

Yes, she's had her bangs trimmed before and even had the ends evened up, but today she got her hair CUT! We went into the shop with hair down almost to her behind and left with it just below her shoulders. What a day!

My oldest called on Sunday when she got phone privileges. LOL, she actually called me twice. The big news was that she was going to actually be starting the training portion of Basic Training. Up to now she's been processing in and getting her shots and uniforms. As of Tuesday though, she's in the major leagues. Go honey, go!!

Nothing much left to update about.....Wait! LOL, yeah there is. We have a new puppy. An absolutely beautiful 3 month old black and tan Manchester Chihuahua. We are calling her Emma. Someone tell me where my brain was when I thought I could handle potty training a new pup.....

More later....Have a good weekend!

2007-05-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update tonight...

My oldest has made it to Basic Training or at least the Reception Center there. She called today and said that she hasn't slept since she left on Monday, LOL. Welcome to Basic Training honey! It only gets harder from there, LOL

My youngest starts summer school tomorrow. LOL, yes, the school decided that they would do a Kindergarten summer school. Will wonders never cease? LOL, anyway, I will still work with her over the summer to help boost her skills prior to school starting in the fall, but at lease it won't be me doing it totally by myself.

I'm sure there will be more to tell you about later, but for now the typical household duties are calling me...laundry, dishes, and eventually the bed, :D

My Daughter the Soldier

2007-05-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

Appropriately enough, with today being Memorial Day here in the US, my oldest daughter is leaving today to go to Basic Training. She enlisted in the US Army National Guard in August of 2006 and has been attending monthly drills since then awaiting her time to ship out for training.

She is leaving home within the hour to be taken to the processing station approximately 60 miles away and will fly out early tomorrow morning to go to her assigned training facility. Basic training will take approximately 9 weeks. I am, needless to say, very proud of her. Proud in all she does, but especially proud that she is taking this step knowing the situation that our country is faced with regarding all the uncertainty facing us in the Middle East.

As her mother I am fearful everyday that she will be one of the selected people who actually get sent to the Middle East and also fearful that she might not return. I have and am now placing her safety in God's hands.

God Bless the USA and all of those who serve in her military!!

A Month Already??

2007-05-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

My gosh, it's been almost a month since I made my initial post. Where have I been? LOL

If you read my first post, you know that I was steaming mad about the lack of notice about my daughters graduation pictures. As a follow up to that, I would like to let you know that the pictures were fantastic! I bought the smallest package they had available, but it is more than enough for my purposes. To top that off, I almost didn't need them after all.....

I had a teachers conference last week and was informed that due to results of the TPRI testing done in April, the teacher felt that it was best if my youngest child repeat Kindergarten. I was basically in shock but knew that the teacher had a point. I agreed to let her repeat the grade. This was on Friday, and all through the weekend I considered and reconsidered my decision. After much thought though I decided that due to the events of the past months, it was unfair to penalize my youngest for the lack of attention paid to her schoolwork by me. So I sent a note to school this morning recanting my decision, :)

Hopefully, I will be able to help get her up to level prior to the beginning of the first grade school year. Wish me luck!

Ever heard of advance notice?

2007-04-18T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm steaming right now! I absolutely hate having things thrown at me at the last minute and lately it seems like that is all anybody knows how to do.

Prime example...Kindergarten graduation pictures. Yes, I knew they were going to be made. They gave us about a month and a half notice as to the date and the fact that little girls needed to have their hair down. What they neglected to tell anyone, is that these were not the snapshot pictures that one would imagine in a small town, small school, kindergarten graduation. Two days prior to the date of the pictures and over two thirds into the month and therefore with a money balance of Zero!, they see fit to send home order forms from a professional photographer! And to make matters worse, they are prepaid photographs.

I don't know if there is anyone else out there whose money is either very tight or non existent at this time of the month, but if it is then you know how I am feeling right now. I will be speaking with someone from the school...not too sure if it will be the principal, the office staff or the Kindergarten teachers themselves, but I will make sure they know this is unfair.

*Monday, 24th*	Dinner - Fish sticks mac & cheese
*Tuesday, 25th*	Dinner - Schwan's Chicken Enchiladas Spanish Rice Refried beans
*Wednesday, 26th*	B'fast - Cold cereal Lunch-Ramen noodles Dinner - Pigs in a blanket mac & cheese
*Thursday, 27th*	Thanksgiving Dinner
*Friday, 28th*	B'fast - Pancakes Lunch-Soup/sandwich Dinner - Leftovers
*Saturday, 29th*	B'fast - Eggs and toast Lunch - Sandwiches Dinner - Hamburger Potato casserole
*Sunday, 30th*	B'fast - Cereal Lunch - PB&J sandwiches Dinner - Chicken & Dumpllings (my moms recipe)

*Monday, 17th*	Fried Chicken, mashed taters and gravy
*Tuesday, 18th*	Dr. Pepper Taco Soup
*Wednesday, 19th*	Fish sticks, macaroni & cheese
*Thursday, 20th*	Hamburger Potato Casserole
*Friday, 21st*	Sausage potatoes and onions
*Saturday, 22nd*	Chicken and Dumplings, garlic bread
*Sunday, 23rd*	Undecided