Nathan's Fish

Nathan and I got a little tired of being cooped up, so yesterday we ran some errands...played in the snow (he made his first snow angel)...had a little snowball fight (He won)...went to the store...

Had craft time...












Baked Cookies (and Blackberry Pie)...

And Made Dinner...

It was the perfect kind of day to use the oven all day long


This is Nathan's very own craft box that Daddy bought for him. Ever since he bought it Nathan rarely puts it down. He loves his little box. So Cute, huh?

Pies and Promises

Ever since I made Rich a blackberry pie at Thanksgiving, he's been craving another one. He ate the pumpkin too, but he really loves blackberry pie (and coconut, but I can't make a decent coconut pie to save my life (I know, I should be so ashamed lol). So, I promised him I would make him another pie for Christmas. And then Christmas came and went and no pie. Then another week went by before he mentioned the pie again and I, yet again, promised I'd make it.

And still another week went by and he mentioned it again last night. So, can you guess what I did this morning? Yep, I made his darn blackberry pie! Every time I make him a blackberry pie, I use his initials as vent holes....because it is his pie (although I sneak a piece or two of it, before he eats it all...shhhh!).

Don't tell anybody, because if I had to do it all the time it would take the fun out of it, but I LOVE baking pies. And not to toot my own horn, but I have never used the canned stuff for pies (It just doesn't taste the same as the real thing). Rich's grandmother taught me how to cook and bake. That's why most of the time I just dump stuff in a bowl and mix it up without measuring and without a recipe. Because that's how she did it. She taught me how to make the pie crust that I still use today (half butter/half shortening, super cold water, flour and a dash of salt), with a sprinkle of sugar on the top crust before baking.

I even have her old rolling pin. She gave it to me to keep before she got sick. I love that old thing, it's in really nice condition too. I think part of the reason I love it and part of the reason my pies are good, is that there is a little bit of Grandma's magic in it. Maybe one day I can pass it down to one of my own grandchildren.

You're So Vain (sing it like you mean it, Carly)

Don't you just love a really good compliment? I mean, one where it swells your head and you walk around for hours or days thinking....hey I'm pretty....I'm so cool...I'm the best cook ever...I'm the greatest.... You know what I mean. A compliment so great it goes straight to your head (and not in a good way LOL).

Yesterday, while I was working I had an elderly lady tell me that I "was so pretty". I replied by saying "umm, gee thanks - you are too, hun." Then, she just kept going on and on about my coloring, how my fair skin complimented my eye color, how I didn't need lipstick, because my lips were a nice "natural" shade and even my freckles made my face look younger, etc.

I walked out of that room feeling like a million bucks.

I continued about my business of taking my residents to the bathroom, putting them to bed, changing the ones that needed changed, running back and forth down my hall answering a billion call lights, passing my snacks and supplements, etc. totally forgetting all about "the compliment." And when I finally had a free second where no one needed anything I ran to the bathroom. And while I was in there I got to thinking again what that lady had said and my head started to swell again (Hey someone other than my husband or my kids thinks I'm pretty - you know cause your husband and kids have to say that).

And then I looked in the mirror........


----Screams of Horror----

What a sight, er fright I was. My hair was sticking out all over the place. My lips were chapped (how did I forget that?). My mascara had run from the little bit of watering my eyes did. And while I was in there laughing hysterically at myself (silently of course, because what would people think if they heard a hyena in the bathroom), I saw all those little wrinkles that have started to form over the last few years and I thought - "young" looking - my eye!!

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.....and if that person is really, really old and has bad eyesight.....take what they say with a grain of salt LOL!

I'll leave you now while you still have that song stuck in your head....

you're so vain
you probably think this song is about you
you're so vain.......

Why do you blog?

Assuming you have a blog, why do you blog? What do you usually blog about? Do you use it to sell your wares and other things you've made? Do you use it to post and share your recipes, photography? Do you use it to brag or post about your family/kids? Or complain about your family/kids? Do you use it as a creative outlet, a way to express yourself (your inner thoughts)?

I ask, because there have been a few times where I posted something about people that they ended up reading and they got upset or mad. See, I do use my blog as a way to brag, complain, show off my kids and family. I also use my blog as a form of expression, a diary if you will. But in a house with 8 people, I don't have the space to keep and store journals. I realize that what I post will be seen by tons of people....it's a public blog. I use my blog to express my feelings and while I can't make everyone happy with what I post, I can get my feelings out of my head and off my chest. If I didn't have this as an outlet, I would probably explode or internalize everything....neither of which is good and all of which I've done. I don't have a therapist or see a shrink and Godlove my husband, but he gets tired of hearing every bitch, whine, moan and complaint that I have and I can't say as I blame him.

I have posted about being depressed, my thyroid problems, my weight, my health, shared fat pictures of myself, posted about how pissed I was that people kept saying things about how I look pregnant or how some rude people say mean things about the size of my family or how they make ignorant comments. I've posted my complaints about my family, some friends, my kids. I've posted my feelings and shared pics of my kids. It's funny that when I post these bad things about myself, no one ever calls or emails and says that they are worried or ask if I need someone to talk to or something to that degree. No - all those posts get buried by the ones that concern them. That's okay, I don't mind.

I do realize that people will read this....I realize that I may hurt other people's feelings....But really if people cared about me, wouldn't they feel better knowing that I'm getting this all out of my system instead of letting it eat me to death. I've posted my fears, I posted my thoughts, etc. Where would you rather see me express this? This bottling up of emotions can be a potentially scary thing...you see teenagers all the time expressing their negative feelings by using drugs, drinking, smoking, cutting themselves. Why not give them an outlet where they can express all these intense feelings, maybe to some degree all that negative behavior would stop...who really knows for sure, you know?

If you knew me, you would know that I am a very emotional person. I am insecure about myself. I am timid around people I don't know, I am afraid of people I think of as authority figures. It takes alot of being pushed around before I finally snap and say what's on my mind. I let people walk all over me and then I let them do it some more (my children are perfect examples of this). Would people rather see me express myself or keep bottling it up, just to make them happy? Usually when I get my feelings hurt, I run to my husband. He fights most of these battles for me. He does this because he loves me and doesn't want to see me get hurt. But even after all these years, I'm sure that even he is getting a little tired of it.

Sure, it feels great to post something I did that I'm really proud of...like making up a new recipe, or taking a great picture, or making a craft with Nathan that people thought was cute enough to copy. It feels great getting that feedback. There are also times at work and such where someone will mention something that they read on my blog and it creeps me out that they know so much about me. It sucks too when people don't comment or when they think my idea sucks and they say so. I don't delete comments, unless it was from some stupid company looking for money and they happened to stumble on my blog. I don't delete my posts either. Even if it was really stupid and no one commented. Or something lame I did. Or some gripe I had about my kids. My theory is if you don't like what you read, than don't read it. I kept this blog fairly private (to some degree) until recently, then I started letting everyone read it, because they were finding it and reading it anyway. All you pretty much have to do anymore is Google someone or something and BINGO there you go...their whole life at your fingertips.

So, what do you blog about? How do you use your blog? Do you care what people are reading or seeing? Do you guard your words and thoughts? Do you think that there may be a day when you're child may go to school and find a somewhat nudey baby pic of themselves posted on their locker for the whole school to see? Do you worry that your children will grow up to hate you or not like you for posting all their embarrasing childhood stories? Seriously, I want to know why you do what you do....

You Know I Don't Think I Ask For Much

I just have a few simple rules that I'd like my kids to follow.

Turn the light off when you leave the room (we're not talking about if you're leaving the room and coming back 5 minutes later - we're talking about leaving the light on when you go to school or leaving it on all night long). Every morning I feel like a warden or something, walking my beat clicking off the lights my kids have left on....downstairs bathroom - check, bedrooms - check, family room - check, garage - check....it gets a little ridiculous.

Flush the toilet when you're done (and if you are a boy, lift the seat - please don't pee all over it and leave it for the next person to deal with). No one really wants to see your nasty business or clean up your pee. Isn't it enough that I have to clean the toilets once a week? Or that I have to clean up the pee on the floor, when you miss....Come on, help a mom out.

Close the garage door (our garage has two interior doors, one that enters the laundry room and one that enters our storage/pantry room), especially in the winter when the garage isn't insulated. It makes the entire downstairs freezing cold.

Clean out the lint trap on the dryer, before you burn our house down around us. It's not that hard to lift the little door and pull the thing out and clean it off. Every dang time one of the kids helps with the laundry (and yes, believe me I'm grateful that they do help with it) they don't empty the dryer trap. I swear that if we ever have a fire (and I pray we never do), the cause will be that dang dryer lint.

When you come inside and your shoes are wet from snow or rain (or God forbid muddy), please take your shoes off. In case you didn't know this, I don't want to spend my day mopping after you're mess all day long.

Pick up your backpacks and coats, the kitchen floor...table...and chairs is not a closet. When you multiply that times 5 (for each school kid), it makes the kitchen look like a mess. And it's usually when I'm trying to make dinner. It's kind of hard to concentrate while cooking and listening to school stories and looking at every piece of paper you stick in my face, while surrounded by coats, shoes and backpacks.


Seriously......Is that too much to ask? From a normal person, anyway?

Last Day of Christmas Break

Today is the last day of Christmas break for the kids. I was supposed to work, but got lucky and they called me and told me that they didn't need me today (WooHoo). So I decided to use the day to have some last minute fun with the little boys and put the big kids to work one last day. They sure were happy about that one hehehe, but I have a nice sparkly kitchen (including clean cupboards and wiped down walls). I think having a clean kitchen from top to bottom is a great way to start out the new year, don't you? I even pulled the appliances out and cleaned behind them as well.

Nick and Nate's Marshmallow Snowmen (and let me tell you what a challenge it was getting the marshmallows on the paper and not in their tummys....Hmm, wonder long it will take them to pick the marshmallows off the paper and eat them, like they did with the candy on the gingerbread boy?? LOL).







Don't you just love Nick's smile....at least he made sure to drink some koolaid first, since he didn't feel like smiling for real hehehe.




Sarah's Snowflake Project (Great Job, Sister!)





Then we made some Sugar Cookies, that we frosted and Nathan sprinkled.






Our dinner was weenie wraps, mac & cheese and applesauce. Something different for us, but the kids enjoyed it.



Tomorrow they will head back to school wearing their new clothes (and new undies and socks). Nathan, I'm sure will miss them (if only for a short time). I have to work tomorrow and also Wednesday, but the rest of the week I'll be off and trying to come up with some new and fun activities that Nathan can do (I mean other than running boring errands with mom).

Oh and for fun two more pics - one of the Rice Krispy Treats that Sarah and I made for dessert last night (I haven't made those since high school, which is weird considering I have six kids and all that). And the other is one of our cat looking rather annoyed about having his picture taken lol.

Randomness

Someone please tell my 16 year old daughter to stop taking hour long showers, she doesn't want to listen to me. Today, I got the water bill in the mail.....it's over $100 and that doesn't include the sewage bill.

Someone please tell my children to stop throwing everything they "think" is dirty on the laundry room floor. They throw blankets that they used for...say...five minutes in the laundry room. I'm just a wee bit tired of finding 10 blankets and pillows and clothes with hangers still attached and socks that are still folded together, everytime I wash the laundry.

Someone please tell Anthony's friend to NOT throw rocks at his bedroom window to get Anthony's attention. Just because someone didn't answer the door right away doesn't mean you can't try walking around the house and knocking on the back door. I mean, we just replaced that window in particular this summer, because one of my own kids threw a toy at it and broke it. I really don't need a $400 bill to replace a window on top of the water bill.

Someone please tell my 4 year to stop screaming everytime he has to share a toy. I mean I realize that he spends the majority of his time playing with toys on his own, while the big kids are at school. But he still needs to learn how to share despite all that.

Someone please remind my children that we do indeed have more than one tv in this house and that they don't all need to fight over the same one....especially when their father has arranged and pays for it so that all the tvs get all the same channels, no matter what room you are in.

Someone please remind my children that cereal is expensive and even though we realize that they eat more than one box a day that doesn't mean that they need to eat cereal all day long, especially out of cups.

Someone please come to my house and find the one and last stocking that is missing, so that I can finally throw the lid on the box and take it to the garage. I mean, I did take down all the decorations by myself and packed them all neatly in the box (instead of throwing everything randomly in boxes where the lid doesn't close tightly because it's too full of junk). That stupid, darn stocking is the only thing left and no one can find it.

Someone please remind my children to stop putting plates and bowls of half eaten food uncovered in my fridge and tell them to stop eating food out of the kitchen. I'm tired of finding bowls and plates in the family room, their bedrooms, under the living room couch, etc. Seriously, how many times do I have to punish them for this, before they stop doing it.

And finally someone please take the ketchup bottle away from my children. I'm getting tired of seeing them dump it all over just about everything they eat. It's getting to the point where I can't stand the smell of ketchup anymore.

Last of the Christmas Pics