I wish.

I was thinking of trying to make rum balls this year but then decided against it since my parents don't do the alcohol thing and my kids are too young for the alcohol thing and I technically shouldn't be doing the alcohol thing (breastfeeding) so... why bother. Cause I know I'd eat more than a couple.

Eh, maybe someday at a church party I'll stumble upon some and can finally cross "rum balls" off my bucket list.

In one of my father's anti-alcohol churches (which technically have been all his churches), they had a Christmas party one year and someone brought a friend who didn't attend their church and she brought rum balls. Well, one of the church ladies decided to try them (not knowing they had alcohol in them) and really liked them. And I guess she loaded up on them and basically got loaded.

Good times in the House of the Lord.

As of today, I have ALL my Christmas shopping done! And let me tell you people, this has been such a stress-free year of shopping that I'm almost sad it's done. (I said almost.) I started on Sunday and went to Target and Kohl's. Then on Monday I went to a few stores in the mall and back to Kohl's. Then today I stopped at Kohl's and Target again. And now, other than a few little things for stocking stuffers, I. Am. Done. (Well, except for the very worst part of all... the wrapping.)

Ohhh do I dislike the wrapping. And this year, I have to wrap! Can't just do the gift bag thing. (I can throw a gift in a bag with tissue paper like nobody's business!) But, I have an 18 month old who is gonna have a blast ripping the paper off his gifts and his mama is gonna have a blast watching it! So, with that thought, that's the end of my wrapping complaint.

And that's a wrap.

Posted at 5:04 PM | 0 Comments

Categorized Under: breastfeeding, church, family, food, fun, holidays, kids, shopping

November 25, 2010
Want It Raw Like My Turkey?
My day started early. Baby T was up a few times because he hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days. I got him back to sleep around 7:30 and my alarm went off at 8:00.


I got up and headed downstairs to put the turkey in the roaster. I was going to do it last night and cook it at about 250 all night, but then I read somewhere that doing that at a lower temperature can cause bacteria to grow. Of course my mom has been cooking our turkeys like that for years, but it was also my way of getting out of leaving a cooking appliance on all night. I just knew I'd toss and turn wondering if the thing was gonna catch fire. So, even though it was actually only one bird... I killed two with one stone. No overnight fire and no bacteria. I like to avoid those kinds of things around the holidays. Call me crazy.


I think I mentioned before that I bought my turkey last Friday. Did you also know that I brought it home and put it directly into the fridge so that it would have plenty of time to thaw out? Well, it was still somewhat frozen this morning and I could not for the life of me get the bag o' crap (gizzards, liver, etc.) and the plastic thing to come out. And I somewhat cried. And then I called my mom. She said to put it in the sink, fill it with some water and let it sit for a few minutes. Ok, sounded good to me... so that's what I did. And then I went upstairs to check on the baby and figured I would lay down for just 5 minutes. I woke up at 10:00 when I heard my parents come in the house.


I'm the hostess with the mostess ya'll!


So I got up and went downstairs and my mom was already getting the bag out of the bird. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed back up to get in my shower.


My mom did pretty much everything for our meal, except make the green bean casserole, that was something I had to do. She doesn't like green beans. I'm not sure if that's why she wouldn't make it, or possibly it's because she made everything else? Who knows. All I know is when I got back home, it was all good.


Yeah, when I got back home.


I didn't eat with everyone. I mean, I sat there, but I didn't eat. I couldn't. My stomach was too upset. I was too upset. Not in a "crying my eyes out" type of way but more of a "why does it have to be this way" type of way.


I had to give Baby T to his dad for his family Thanksgiving. And although I'm ok with it, my stomach still gets in a "mama's gonna worry til your home" knot, every time I have to give him up. And this is the first holiday that he's had to leave me. I know half the world lives like this, but not my half. It's a big turkey bone to swallow.


I had to meet him at 4:00, which is around the time Baby T takes a nap and I hate that his routine has to be messed up because of this. And I know that he is ok and that this upsets me more than it does him, but that doesn't settle my stomach. I know kids are durable. Moms however, are another story. At least this one.


But besides all that... I had a terrific Thanksgiving and I am blessed beyond measure! Baby T arrived back safe and sound and seems to be in a happy mood. My parents and T2 got back to their home safely, in all this fog and icey rain. And now I'm sitting here with my baby and my oldest and we're trying to figure out WHERE we are going to put our Christmas tree this year.


And may I say just how thankful I am that this is all I have to worry about right at this very moment?!


Thanks!

Posted at 4:57 PM | 0 Comments

Categorized Under: baby, family, food, holidays

November 19, 2010
The Early Bird Gets The Bird
I am excited! I love this feeling!

I have 98.5% of my "Thanksgiving Dinner" shopping done.

I decided this morning that today I wanted to go get everything and beat the crazy crowds. I say this every year, but this year I did it. And it feels so wonderful!

I got: the turkey, stuffing, corn, sweet potatoes (yams) and the little marshmallows to go on top, green beans, cream of mushroom soup and those fried onion things for my green bean casserole, a bag of potatoes for mashed potatoes, Amish egg noodles, rolls, cheese, black olives, green olives, cottage cheese, a couple of jars of turkey gravy (just in case), and... and... 2 cans of cranberry sauce.

And now that I'm rereading that paragraph, I forgot the baby sweet pickles. Not that that is a traditional Thanksgiving food, but we like them. What's not to like about something that has baby and sweet in the name?

Where's the pumpkin pie you ask? My mom will be covering that. Oops! and now there's one more thing... I forgot the whipped cream. I think I'll be all Martha Stewart and make that myself, instead of doing Cool Whip or the spray can thing.

And no, I'm not talking about making it MYSELF... you need heavy whipping cream for that and Baby T's pediatrician would tell you that I only make skim milk.

Anyway... so other than the baby sweet pickles and heavy whipping cream (oh who are we kidding, COOL WHIP) I've got it covered folks. Bring on Thanksgiving!

And my stretchy pants.

Posted at 11:50 PM | 0 Comments

Categorized Under: family, food, holidays, shopping

November 15, 2010
It's a Full House
We are still at my parents' house. We've been here since Friday. It is Monday. We will probably stay until Wednesday. Enough said? No? Well, let me break it down for ya.

I love my parents. Love love LOVE them. However, I don't want to live with them. And yes, 5 days feels like living with them.

I will live close to them, I will live in a home that has two separate living quarters with them, but I will not live with them in a single home dwelling that is the smallest house they've ever lived in. (At least since I've been around.)

I'll just say it's cozy. (Did you know "cozy" is a nice word for small in realty lingo? Stick with me kids, I have all the inside scoop on life's secrets. I know how to read between the lines.)

A day in the life around here consists of everyone getting up and trying to get in the shower first because they have one shower and the hot water does not last long. My mom is normally the lucky one and manages to get in first. I am unlucky in this area because as hard as I try to get a shower in the morning (here or at my own house), my child has some sort of 6th sense that causes him to wake up out of a sound sleep as soon as my toes touch the floor to get out of bed. My alarm could go off... he stays sleeping. My cell phone could ring... stays asleep. Saturday morning a semi drove by right outside our window and blew his big loud horn... he kept on sleepin. But let me quietly pull the covers back and slowly move my leg off the bed and he's up. He has a special gift and I fully expect him to have a future in the military or CIA.

Normally I just put him in bed with me, nurse him back to sleep and lay there watching old reruns of Full House where Uncle Jesse's hair looks like this. I call these the "Mullet Episodes" and I don't like them. I can handle the newer reruns where Uncle Jesse's hair looks like this, but the old ones like make me like wanna gag myself with a spoon or spend the rest of my day saying things like "You got it dude" and "You're in big trouble mister".

My father does not shower at home on the days he works out so you'll typically find him sitting at the table doing his crossword puzzle while my mom makes his breakfast. Then he'll head into the living room to watch his 2 daily morning shows; Let's Make A Deal and The Price Is Right. As soon as the Showcase Showdown ends, he'll leave for the YMCA and return about 2 hours later.

Meanwhile, my mom is asking everyone else what they want for breakfast like she's a short order cook. And btw... if you ever spend the night, just know that she is willing and able and READY to make pretty much any breakfast dish you can think of at any given time. Eggs, bacon, pancake/waffle mix, an assortment of cereals, oatmeal, hash browns, potatoes, mush (yes, mush), danish or some sort of breakfast pastry, bread for french toast or just plain toast, bagels, cream cheese, OJ, coffee, an assortment of hot teas, milk... these things are ALWAYS in stock in my mother's kitchen. And I'm not complaining, this is one of the reasons why I gain 10 pounds every weekend we're here. (The other would be because I eat out of boredom and stress, but we'll visit that thought later.)

So, while my dad is at the Y, my mom is busy cooking or cleaning up or doing laundry or whatever chore she can think of to keep herself busy.

I am normally feeding my face and trying to feed the baby, T1 is either getting in his semi warm shower or on the computer. T2 will usually sit and watch tv and then get right on his schoolwork so he can play with his other homeschooled friends in the neighborhood.

And that my friends, is as exciting as it gets. Seriously. By the time breakfast is over, my day becomes a blur of chasing the baby around trying to keep him out of the curio cabinets or keep his fingerprints off my dad's huge flatscreen tv, or keep him from unplugging all the lamps or turning the DirectTV off (because it sits low and he loves the little blue light - or rather he loves the almost heart attack that my father has every. single. time. he does it.) I'm not sure why my father doesn't just pick up the remote that must always be in his possession and turn it back on, but I'm in my shoes, I don't walk in his. I can't pretend to understand the hardship of being right in the middle of Plinko and having it taken from you without knowing if that red puck make it into the $10,000 slot or the $1,000 slot. It's a hard knock life.

Have Mercy.


Posted at 6:54 PM | 0 Comments

Categorized Under: baby, family, food, fun, homeschooling, kids, life, random, tv

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