Menu Plan Monday....er...Tuesday!

Sorry, the time is just slip sliding away from me and I forgot to post this yesterday. Oh well, better late than never...

Monday: Your Sticking What Up My Butt?!? chicken, corn on cob, brucsetta
Tuesday: Chicken tetrazzini using leftover chicken, salad
Wed: Mexican casserole
Thursday: Homemade pizza
Friday: Dinner party at my house. Luau theme so beef and chicken kabobs
Saturday: 4th of July party so I will bring a salad of some sort
Sunday: I have no idea. Leftovers probably...

Kids say the darndest things.....

Setting: Brooks and I are watching television

Commercial comes on about KY Yours and Mine gel.

In this commercial, we get to see a frantic couple run to their bedroom each with their gel in hand, jump in bed and make some remark about hurrying before the kids get home.

Then it goes to them in the rumpled bed and you hear a door slam and a kid call out for her parents. Then they say something about how great the gel is.

Honestly, I was barely paying attention. Apparently though, Brooks was paying attention. He is 9. Here is our conversation after viewing that commercial.

Brooks: Commercials these days are getting sick.

Me: What? Huh?(like I said, I was barely watching the TV)

Brooks: That is sick. Those two people...I don't know...making out. When I was a kid, the only commercials you saw are like, Barney. Not that junk! That is sick.(shakes head)

Me: What? Huh? lol

I am still stuck on the "when I was a kid" comment. What is 9 these days? lol

Pretty smart kid. I think maybe we need to have that "talk". Apparently he knows a little more than I thought. Kids! Geesh.

The power of prayer

If you have any doubt at all about the power of hope, faith, love, and prayer, take a look at this video. It is truly remarkable and a true testament that miracles do happen.



Kelsey...the miracle baby

What we did for Fathers day...

OK, so I missed my Menu Plan Monday post. Don't worry, you aren't missing anything exciting. I don't feel much like cooking this week so I am not. Last night we had hot dogs. Or I should say the kids had hot dogs. I went out to eat with some friends and Mike made himself some chinese. Tonight I did make chicken parm and zuccini. Not sure what we will have the rest of the week. Just winging it. Hey, it's summer! I dont have to adhere to a strict schedule or menu.

Back to fathers day. We had a great day at my parents house. Here is what we did.

We spent the day on the boat. It was a glorious day. Not too hot, not too sunny. Just right. Here is my mom. She is beautiful. I can't tell you how old she is, but you wouldn't believe me anyway.

Caitey, my beautiful girl.

Here is a pic of me(my back to you) and then going clockwise, my brother, Caitey, Mike, and my SIL. Can you tell we were very relaxed out there?This is my older brother.Brooks with a chocolate chip cookie. Home made of course. and yes, he and his cousin did jump into the water, cookies in hand and ate them while swimming. All I can say is boys, what can you do?

Brooks and his cousin looking all cool. His cousin has a Raiders of the Lost Arc hat. He wears it all the time but was nice enough to lend it to Brooks. And Brooks was all sorts of cool in it.

Dont you agree? Just look at this cutie!

Then, after we came off of the boat, we enjoyed some of these....Yes, that is the baby with a crab. Look, if they can sit up in a chair, they can pick their own damn crabs! OK, so maybe we help them a little bit...Here is my dad.And here is my brother with his sweet baby.

So, there you have it. A wonderful Fathers Day.

Day. Two.

For the love of all that is holy, someone please, please pray for my children. Pray that they stop fighting. Pray that they suddenly decide that they love one another. Pray that they realize that I am actually a pretty cool mother who doesn't demand *that* much from them. Because seriously folks, I am going to lose it. It is day two. DAY.TWO. of their summer vacation and all they have done all day long is fight with one another. Primarily the older two but Brooks can add to the mix quite well even if he isn't the primary offender. I do realize it is about a bazillion degrees outside. And it didn't help that we had to run some errands today on top of all three of them having dentist appointments. But seriously folks, is it too much to ask for a 13 and 14 year old to sit in a waiting room and NOT fight with one another? Or not knock on the heating vent for 19 minutes straight just to piss their mother off? Not to mention the other poor people in the waiting room. So I am thinking, who can I farm a few kids off to? If anyone out there wants to save a mothers sanity, not to mention a few gray hairs, drop me a line. I need a break. And it is only DAY. TWO!!!

Menu Plan Monday!

It is now officially the first day of summer vacation and I think our menu will probably be very much more relaxed and easy. It is summer after all.

Monday: fried zuccini with sauce and pasta
Tuesday: teryaki chicken, corn on cob, spinach salad
Wed: grilled hot dogs, beans, apple sauce
Thursday: homemade pizza
Friday: steak, baked potato, salad
Saturday: Cook out at Denise's house!
Sunday: boating at mom and dads

Keep reading for another post about our weekend camping trip.

Holy Cappicolli Batman, it's hot enough to fry an egg out there!

I have no idea where that came from. Excuse my momentary weirdness lapse. It wont happen again. Who am I kidding, it will most definitely happen again. But just not until Wed. Or Thursday, or tomorrow. Whatever.

It is a freaking oven! I know I have been praying for hot weather but this is almost too much. Actually, I really dont mind it all that much. My clothes dry on the line in like 19 minutes and I have the perfect excuse to do nothing but hang out around the pool sipping iced tea (or beer). That is what summer is all about, right?

Thursday we had our huge end of school year swim party. I spent the last few weeks planning it and it was awesome. We had about 350 people attend and with the exception of one child getting hurt and another getting rescued, fun was had by all! Here is a picture of Brooks. He stopped just long enough for me to snap this picture.

Friday the kids had a half day of school and as soon as they got home, we left for a weekend camping trip. It was a much needed break and celebration of the end of the school year and the frenzy of activities that led up to that last week of school. And it was hot! But the heat was OK because we were camping along a mountain creek with lots of shade. But it was stuffy and hot and a little bit buggy. But we still had a great time. The creek had just the right amount of water flowing with tiny little rapids. So the kids had their dollar store inner tubes and they would sit in them and float down the creek, going over a couple of small "water falls". Eventually they would get out and walk back up and start over again. They reported that they saw crayfish and five snakes and they witnessed one snake eating a fish and that it was "so cool"!

Here you see one of the "water falls". As you can tell, the water was pretty calm and shallow. So perfect for the kids. We felt very secure with them floating down there about 500 yards and then walking back up. It is nice having kids old enough that you don't feel you need to be tethered to them anymore. Even Molly our cockapoo had a blast in the creek. She would play fetch for hours. I am serious, literally hours! She even dove down under the water for the ball. Mike said that he was ready to rescue her at one point because she was down under the water for over 30 seconds. But it felt like minutes and he was afraid she was drowning. But nope, she was just fine. Hey, she wanted her ball and she was going to get it!

Ladeeda.............Just floating along....................Whoah baby! Look out for those rapids! Hang on!!!
OK, last picture. This is me doing what I did whenever I wasn't cooking for 5 kids or cleaning up after 5 kids. Sitting in my chair, relaxing. Ahhh! Wait, where is my beer? Oh, never mind, I found it.

A contest!

My good friend Gina is having a contest. And believe me when I say it is not just an ordinary everyday contest. No siree, it is a fantabulous, miss it and your a dork, contest. So mosey on over here, and check it out. Plus, while your there, take a minute, grab a cup of coffee and take a look around. Gina is an awesome writer and you will enjoy your stay.

Menu Plan Monday, etc.

Another busy week but I am starting to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

This week is the kids last week of school. Which I usually am really excited about. This year however, I am a little bummed about it. I am not ready for them to be home all day long every day for the next couple of months. It isn't as if I don't love them, or even enjoy their company. No, the problem is they are little pains in the asses lately. Well, actually, Brooks is still fairly decent but the other two, TEENAGERS, they are a royal pain in the ass! They pretty much fight constantly. So I am not really looking forward to that.

Anyway, this week Mike is going to Vegas for *work*. Um, ok. Whatever. lol I have field day on Monday and a volunteer luncheon. Tuesday I think I am free. Wed. is the end of year swim party and picnic and I have a lot of running around and setting up and cleaning up, etc. for that. But it is a fun day so I am looking forward to it. Assuming of course it doesn't rain. Which it probably will. Usually does every year. The rain date is Thursday. If we have to have it on Thursday, I will have a problem because Brooks has try outs for the travel soccer team. Sigh. Then Friday we are leaving for a camping weekend. SO I need to shop and pack for that.

Needless to say, I will be busy this week. And since Mike wont be here, we are eating easy easy meals.

Monday: Spaghetti and zucchini
Tuesday: probably leftover spaghetti and a salad
Wed: picnic-hamburgers and hot dogs
Thursday: Chicken and salad
Friday: camping so burgers and potato salad
Saturday: teryaki chicken or pork, corn and potatoes
Sunday: mountain pies(pizza, tuna melts, etc.)


Have a great week everyone!