Dinner Experiment - Day 2

I was encouraged by Tuesday's meal so I was totally gung-ho for Wednesday's.  I decided upon Stir Fry.  Yeah, I know that's another normal meal to most people, but that's what I was aiming for.  It's something I've never actually made myself and my family is happy to eat at a hibachi restaurant.  So...

I called up my sister-in-law to see how she makes hers.  I tasted a bite of it once and enjoyed it.  She used different vegetables than I like, so I did just a bit of altering.

The Process-
Cut into bite sized pieces:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 of a zucchini
1/2 of a large, sweet onion
1 C mushrooms

Steam 1C white rice according to package directions.

In a large skillet, add 1-2 turns around the pan of olive oil.  Add chicken with a few dashes of soy sauce.  Cook about halfway through; add the vegetables.  Continue cooking, adding more soy sauce, if desired.

When rice is finished, heat a skillet on high heat, adding 1-2 turns of olive oil.  Add cooked rice and as much soy sauce as you like.  Slightly brown the rice, making it a little crispy.

Add the fried rice to the meat and vegetable mixture.  Serve immediately.

The Verdict:  A Winner!

Here is what I did wrong.  I started the chicken and veggies before the rice.  I ended up having to wait on the rice, which made my veggies overcook.  They were very soft and lost the slight crunch I desired.  I tasted them 10 minutes before the rice was done and they were perfect.  This is why I put in the recipe to start the rice first, then the chicken.  I started the chicken and veggies at the same time, which isn't the best idea.  Also, my chicken breasts were quite large and I ended up with too much meat (for us).

My kids pretty much picked out the rice only, but I'm sure a couple veggies slipped through unnoticed.  They each had to try the chicken and the veggies.  One of them said they kind of liked the chicken.  Just a little.  I'll take it as a victory!

I forgot to take a photo until we were done.  This was all that was left in the pan.

I added extra soy sauce at the table.  I would love to have a bottle of that ginger sauce they give you at the Japanese steakhouses!  Oh, and that ginger salad dressing!  And the onion soup!  OK, I'm not Japanese, but I did my best!!!

Dinner Experiment - Day 1

Tuesday was Day #1 of Experiment New Dinnertime.  I made meatloaf.  Yeah, I thought I would start out with something totally horrible by the standards of picky kid eaters.

When Hubby and I were talking on the phone a couple days ago, he said he was on board with The Dinner Nazi, but there were certain things he just couldn't eat.  I told him I understand that.  I'm not going to make totally ridiculous things....only things that most normal people like.  He listed some specifics...fish, ketchup, and a couple others.  When I agreed I would not cook those things, he said, "Good, meatloaf is out then!"  Little did he know, it was on the way...

I don't like ketchup either, and I think that's why meatloaf has always left a bad taste in my mouth.  (Pun intended.)  The last time I remember eating meatloaf was when I was probably 8 and it was a major chore to get down.  I got thinking- that's ridiculous!  How can I hold onto that idea for nearly 30 years that meatloaf is disgusting???  I'm a fairly good cook.  I can put in the meatloaf whatever I want.

So I googled "no ketchup meatloaf."  Turns out, I'm not alone in the ketchup in meatloaf aversion.  Tons of results came up.  One of the comments said, "Isn't that the point of meatloaf?  To put in whatever you have on hand?"  So, I decided to customize our own meatloaf.

Here's the recipe I started with:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 C bread crumbs
1 onion, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
16 oz. tomato sauce
3 T vinegar
3 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C water to thin, if necessary

Of course, I dialed down the onion- a lot!  I can't stand when food is overpowered with onion flavor.  I dialed down the pepper, eliminated the vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.  I thought the vinegar is what would give it more of a ketchup taste.  And I don't have Dijon mustard or Worcestershire.  I didn't use the water.  I added a dash of garlic powder, as I was out of fresh, and a couple shakes of Italian seasoning.  My goal was to make it more like Italian meatballs, which Hubby & I both like.  (The kids like NOTHING!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix together beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 C tomato sauce.  Form this mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow pan.  (I used a loaf pan to make it look like traditional meatloaf).  Stir together the remaining ingredients, using the water if needed.  Pour over the meatloaf.  Bake 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.

I had an appointment, so I covered the top with about 3/4 of the prepared sauce, put it in the oven, and left. I did not baste.

The verdict:  pretty good!  The sauce on top was very sweet.  I liked that; Hubby thought it was too sweet.  If you don't like sweet food, dial down the brown sugar a bit.  Of course, all my kids fought me, yet I made them eat some.  I think I'll add it to the occasional rotation.  It was very easy to make ahead and pop in the oven later.  I served it with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

Your thoughts about Meatloaf:  love it or hate it???

No Short Orders, Just Short Tempers

I had a breakdown last week.  I finally had it out with being a short-order cook around here.  I've complained and complained many times over that I have a family full of picky eaters.  I'm sick and tired of it and I can't take any more!!

I grocery shop every Monday and plan the meals for the week.  We stick to them for the most part, occasionally delaying one until the next week to make a run for Chipotle or order a pizza on a busy night.  But you can bet your home that, when I announce what we're having for dinner, someone will complain.  It's as sure as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening.

Last Monday, we planned on grilling out.  That is one of two or three meals that makes everyone happy.  Still, it's not like I can only grill one thing.  It's got to be cheeseburgers, made 3 different ways, and hot dogs, made 2 different ways.  It still ain't easy.  I don't even care for hamburgers or hot dogs, I just go with it every week or two just so I don't have to hear the complaining.

Anyhow, it ended up raining cats and dogs last Monday.  We were planning to cook over our fire pit, which had 2" deep puddles in it.  Because of that, I decided to delay Monday's meal and cook Tuesday's tacos instead.  Tacos are definitely in my top three favorite dinners.

Someone, I won't say who, heard the news about tacos instead of burgers.  He said- well, kind of yelled, "I am NOT eating tacos!  I don't like them and you know I don't like them!  I am NOT eating them!"  I was taken off guard, but kept my cool.  "Fine," I replied.  "I'm done then.  Y'all can make what you want from now on.  I'm not cooking any more."  I stormed out of the kitchen, changed into running clothes, and fled the house.  There was a bit more drama involved, but those are the bullet points.

The kids couldn't believe it.  Mom isn't cooking any more!  I also managed to declare that no one gets the easy way out either.  No pizzas, no McDonald's, no Chipotle.  You can fix something for yourself with the groceries that are here at the house.  There was still some confusion as to what was going on in this typically happy home.  I informed my family members that they can eat grilled cheese, boxed macaroni, or frozen pizza.  There's always peanut butter in the cupboard, which is what I ended up eating.

This continued for the entire week.  I refused to cook.  I was not giving in.  Finally, on Thursday, the apology came.  It wasn't long and detailed, but it came.  I was ready for a truce.  "There are two options," I said.  "Everyone can make their own dinner every night, but there will be no going out to eat.  You're stuck with what's here.  OR, I can start cooking again.  If I cook, there are going to be some huge changes.  You're stuck with what I make.  No one is refusing to eat and going to bed without dinner.  If I make it, you're eating it.  Also, there will be no complaining.  I don't want to hear that you don't like dinner.  Sit down, shut up, and eat.  Finally, I will not be announcing what I'm making.  I'm tired of being asked that question 6 times a day and hearing complaints.  You'll see what's for dinner when you sit down at the table."

Mama's on the warpath...

Option #2 was chosen.  SO...I decided to hit it hard.  This week, I am making all brand new things that I've never made before.  They probably will not be well received, yet I am prepared.  Maybe the fam will appreciate the way it's been up to this point and will beg to have things go back to the way they were.

On Monday, I had a youth group meeting that included dinner.  I decided to give them one last day of freedom before I grew my Hitler mustache.  They ordered pizza.

The remaining nights are going to be brand new recipes (to me).  I plan on sharing them with you, along with a story of how they went over.  Stay tuned...

Quizzed Out

Every time I try to be a better blogger, something always comes up.  I was looking forward to the lazy days of summer, but they haven't arrived yet.

Big Sis has chosen to be a star Bible Quizzer this year.  I am one of her coaches.  She accepted the challenge and found out she's very good at it.  Her big brothers have chosen to show up to practice and not study.  They are horrible and can't stand that she can whip their tails.  The end of the quizzing season was quickly approaching and she was getting very close to learning every single verse of required material.  When I say she's learning verses, I don't just mean she's familiar with them.  She can quote, word for word, the verse from the King James Version of the Bible, Biblical reference included.  She's amazing.  I never realized that an 8-year-old brain could hold so much information.  I was a Bible Quizzer in my teen years, but I never accomplished what she did this year.  She finally memorized all the material- 191 selected verses from the book of Psalms!  She's my hero.

Not only has she learned these verses, she can answer nit-picky questions about them.  Things like- quote the only verse of study that contains the word "fire."  If you answer 6 questions correctly in a quiz (out of 15), you quiz out.  It's her goal for every quiz.  She stands, everyone claps for her, and she's awarded 10 bonus points.  She smiles that huge smile that causes her to lose her eyes.

State Finals were over the weekend.  It was a 2-day trip an hour and a half away.  They lost their first quiz against the team that ended up winning first, yet she managed to earn the second highest scorer.  They won the next two, which Big Sis quizzed out of.  She was the highest scorer of both of those quizzes.  Their final quiz was lost to the team that took second.  She handled it with the utmost dignity and grace.  She shook hands with the winners, congratulated them, and smiled that sweet smile of hers.  They placed 5th in the state, which is about in the middle.  We didn't expect to win or advance to Nationals.  This is only the second year for our church to have a team, so my expectations were totally exceeded!

She finished as the 3rd highest scorer of the day, which was 1st on the All Tournament Team.  She has another trophy.  She got 2 blue ribbons, 1 red, and a medal for being part of the 100% club!

Seeing her score goals in soccer, get straight As in school, be at the top of the cheerleading pyramid, or have a solo in the choir could never provide me with the sense of pride that being a star Bible Quizzer does.  I could not be more proud and needed to do a little bragging!

Bible Quizzing is over for the year -- let the lazy days of summer commence!

Worst Day

I have a new Worst Day of My Life, I'm sorry to say.  It was my birthday weekend.  Hubby and I were gone all day Saturday since my mom offered to watch the kids.  We hoped to bike but there were threats of strong storms all day.  We started off touring some nearby model homes.  Of course, that sent me into a low grade depression in which I broke the Thou Shalt Not Covet commandment.  Man, if I could just duplicate that New Home Smell in my house....it's way more appealing than New Car Smell!

Anyway, we don't have any fantastic shopping locally so we drove an hour away.  We even visited the discount paper store, where I loaded up on a bag full of envelopes for six bucks.

When we got home (it never did rain, by the way), there was a visitor at my mom's.  It was a high school senior that my mom and I have kind of mentored through the years.  Her mom passed away suddenly when she was a young girl and her dad has two girls alone.  She stopped by to give my mom a ticket for her graduation.  She's a little on the slow side and didn't realize that she had overstayed her welcome.

In the midst of the visiting girl, our return from The Day, and my brother's family stopping by, it got a little hectic.  I overheard a bit of a conversation between my mom and Son #1.  I heard her reply to his question, "That's something you'd have to ask your mother."  I didn't know what he had asked.

My brother and his family left.  The girl continued to stay.  I figured that if I left too, she might get the hint.  I took my shopping treasures from the day and got ready for bed.  It turned out, the girl stayed another hour or so.  Finally, when she left, my mom called over to make sure I had Son #1.  The boys had asked to stay the night but only Son #2 was there.  "No," I replied, "I thought he was at your house."  She thought he had maybe gone into her basement so she hung up to check.  I checked his room, but he wasn't there.  We started questioning down the kids, wondering where he was.  I woke up Big Sis to make sure she didn't know anything.  He was nowhere.

My mom said he mentioned something about going to a friend's bonfire, but she told him he'd have to ask me.  He never did.

We called his phone dozens of times.  It was off.  His phone is never off.  He is better about answering his phone than anyone else in the entire family.  My mom started to panic, but I was still calm.  "I'll go look for him," I said.  I changed out of my pajamas and set off in the car, ready to tan his hide for causing this chaos.

I drove by Jeremy's, Jake's, and Evan's.  It was dark out and I couldn't remember exactly where Tyler lived.  Those are the only friends he visits at home.  I was fairly certain it wasn't a church friend, because #1 would have told my mom the name of the friend who was having the bonfire.

I started calling friends and family.  No one knew of his whereabouts.  By this time, it was after 10:00.  It just wasn't like him.  He wasn't angry and didn't run away.  He didn't actually ask for permission to go somewhere and didn't tell me he was leaving.  He wasn't answering his phone.  I was getting quite nervous at this point.  Various family members had arrived at our house to offer help and support.  My uncle was driving the streets of our town looking for and smelling for a bonfire.

We tried to send out a Find My iPod signal, but he didn't have it with him.  He also left his iPad mini at home.  I couldn't think of another thing to do.

Around 10:30, I realized I had to call the police.  How long do you stand there in your front yard, unaware of where your 14-year-old son is and not knowing where to look next?  I dialed the non-emergency number and kept very calm.  I explained that my son mentioned something about a bonfire at a friend's, but none of us knew he left.  I asked if they knew of any bonfires in town.  (Whenever we have one, someone typically calls the cops and complains, so I thought maybe they had heard about it.)  They knew nothing.  I said I didn't know what to do next.  They said they could send someone out.  Son #2's best friend's dad is a cop, so I asked if they could send him.

Hubby paced and continued to call his phone.  My mom went in and out of panic mode.  My cousin asked various questions.  Son #2 and my dad were both very quiet.  I was surprisingly calm.  Then, that story of the girls kidnapped for over 10 years in Cleveland kept playing though my mind.  They were about his age.  I imagined every possible scenario...

Finally, after an eternity, the police arrived.  My old high school buddy stepped out of the car and I started explaining the situation.  Suddenly, I heard Hubby's very loud voice saying, "WHERE ARE YOU?!?!"  I ran to where he was.  He was on the phone, fuming.  There was almost steam coming out of his ears.  Again, he said, "WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?"  My mom busted into tears, I didn't know if I should be angry or relieved.  Then Hubby got the answer he was looking for.  Son #1 was in a town 15 minutes away, at someone's house we had never met.

Oh dear...the rage.

I'll try to wrap up quickly now because this story is getting quite long.  In the confusion of the evening, #1 thought he made it clear to my mom that he was going to a friend's.  He never asked me.  This friend called and said he was a block away and would pick up my son and take him there.  He quickly grabbed his sweatshirt and hat and headed out the door to catch them.  This person attends his school but lives a couple towns away.  I do not know why.  They have a good 20 minute drive to school every day.

When he arrived at the house, he realized his phone was almost dead.  He turned it off and put it in the house.  They had been playing games outside and he said he lost track of time.  By the time we arrived at the house to pick him up, it was just before 11:00.  I realize you don't know us personally, but that's not OK.  Our kids are NOT allowed to stay out until 11, especially with people we've never met!  I was fired up the entire drive there.

#1 was standing by the road when we got there, as was the father of the friend.  #1 was sobbing and the dad looked like he was close to tears.  He apologized profusely, saying he had no clue our son hadn't received permission to come.  He assured my he was a good person.  He actually went to school a few years ahead of us and he lived in a very beautiful neighborhood.  I was still irate but did my best to assure the man that the fault was not his.

I decided not to kill my son because sobbing in front of all your teenage friends is punishment enough.  We did, however, lecture him the entire way home.  I explained to him why I ask him to text or call me sporadically when he's not at home.  It's not to interrupt his fun.  It's not so that I can check up on him or that I don't trust him.  It's for my peace of mind.  He said he understood that now.  I told him the many thoughts and emotions that went through my mind that evening.  We made him feel pretty bad.

Fortunately, we got a happy ending.  But can you imagine all the parents who went through something like this, only to never see their child again?  The thought of it makes me literally sick to my stomach.

It's a Random Kind of Day

Funny I just mentioned to you about putting away the winter coats and getting them back out again.  Over the weekend, I wore mine to an outdoor graduation party.  I may have looked quite geeky, but I was the only warm one there.  On Monday, I donned my winter gloves for a Memorial Day bike ride.  Crazy weather!  Yesterday, it hit 80.

 ~>*<~

I am quite smitten by Crystal Light Raspberry Ice.  These skinny little packets can go anywhere with you and the final product is something highly to be desired...much like a grown up's Kool Aid.  The strawberry lemonade drops aren't too bad either.  It's definitely a healthy break from all the Diet Coke I've been drinking, trying to get rid of daily headaches. I think I actually need a new pillow.

~>*<~

The house across the street lost its renters, so it's getting that abandoned haunted house look.  When the grass hit a foot high, Hubby called the number on the rental sign and complained.  He explained that he mows grass for apartment complexes and would be happy to mow the yard, for a price.  They readily accepted.  So now, once a week, Hubby drives his little mower across the street, spends an hour or so there, and makes 50 bucks!  (The first time, he charged $80!)  He and Son #1 make about $400 a month mowing properties on Saturdays.  They're home by noon and he's banking all the money in savings.  There may be a pinhole of light at the end of our tunnel that we might get to build a home at some point in the future.  We're trying to save for that highly anticipated day.

~>*<~

My little cousin graduated over the weekend, Magna Cum Laude!  For his gift, I donated the photo booth for his party.  I set the booth up on their deck, against the house, and went home to get ready for the party.  I returned after 40 minutes or so and all was well.  Someone asked me to make a sign labeling the iced tea, so I turned by back for a moment.  Suddenly, a huge gust of wind knocked over the entire booth!  It fell toward me and I tried to catch it.  I can't remember if I heard it coming down, felt it, or what.  I just remember shouting, "I need some help!  I need some help!"  I had just been talking to Big Sis, but didn't realize she was still there.  Someone asked where she was and I tried looking around, still attempting to get the booth back up.  The booth fell against a picnic table, which stopped its fall.  Lucky for her, because she would have been the object stopping its fall.  She kind of fell down underneath the table and was fine.  The booth, however, did not fare quite as well.  I never did get it back up running.  So, my gift was a flop and my booth is broken.  I still cannot figure out how the wind could knock down something that heavy.  I can only lift two out of the three boxes that house the equipment.  So to think that the wind could knock over all three....it's amazing.

~>*<~

Our birthdays are coming up.  Hubby celebrates his on Thursday and mine is Sunday.  Big Sis has a tournament on Saturday, but I said I could not attend this month.  I was proud of myself for taking some personal time.  We're hoping to go on a really long bike ride, assuming the weather cooperates.  Riding is our new jam.  Maybe I'll get skinny from all this biking.

~>*<~

I really want to go to New York.  We actually found flights for $59, but they were Tuesday & Wednesday only.  Hubby has a hard time getting off work, so we were hoping to go over a weekend.  Unfortunately, they charge soooo much more to fly Fridays & Sundays.  Boo.  I would like to take my good camera and get some some unique architectural shots to frame for Son #1's room.

~>*<~

What totally random thing is going on in your life right now?

Roughed Up on the Playground

Last Monday morning, I was pulling into the grocery store, as I do like clockwork every Monday morning.  (Have I ever mentioned that I'm obsessed with schedules?)  As I stepped out of the car, my phone rang, identifying the caller as the middle school.  Expecting one of those sent-out-far-too-often-parent-broadcasts, I answered and listened.  No bing, bong, bing was heard so I said Hello.  It was Son #1 and he had a somewhat nervous sounding voice with slight laughter.

"Um, mom....is there any way you can bring me a new shirt to school?"

OK, not to sound selfish or anything, but that's a huge request.  Number one, I'm already AT the grocery store and Baby Girl has already taken OFF her seat belt.  Number two, as mentioned above, I'm very strict with my grocery shopping schedule.  The kids watch at our store opens at 11:00, so I'm usually there no later than 11:05.  Number three, the middle school is all the way across town and takes ten minutes, with traffic. (Yes, that school wanted my boys to walk home, due to budget cuts, because 2.1 miles was right on the borderline of requiring bussing.  Jerks.)  Number four, and most importantly, this hiccup in my schedule means I'm not eating lunch until 1:00 and Baby Girl gets a late nap.

"Do you really need it right now?"  All of the above reasons are playing out in my mind and I'm irritated about whatever the event was that caused him to ask for a new shirt.

"Well, yeah, I can't exactly wear this one...it's almost ripped in half."  (Slight nervous laughter.)

"What happened?"  (I guess now would be a good time to inquire about the safety of my firstborn.

"Um, some kid got mad and tackled me and ripped my shirt."  (More of the nervousness.)

"Lovely.  I'll be there as soon as I can."

Back in the car, carseat buckled again, and back home.  I can't even begin to describe to you the monstrosity that was my sons' closet.  The pile of crap on the floor could have housed a family of raccoons or easily hidden two small orphans.  I was nervous to approach it without one of these on:

I eventually found a shirt, which needed ironed, and set off toward the school.  I called Hubby on the way to attempt to fill him in on what I knew.  "I'm mad!" I told him.  "I'm not sure at whom, but I'm mad at someone!"

I finally made it to the school, holding a pressed shirt and Baby Girl hand, and walked in to see my son sitting in the office.  When he stood, I could see that his nice American Eagle shirt was ripped from nipple to hip.  There were red scratches all over the side of his stomach.

"What in the world happened?"  My anger at the unidentified person was growing into rage.

"We were playing basketball outside.  There were like 80 people and only 10 balls.  This one kid was just standing there holding a ball, not moving.  I hit it out of his hand to take a shot.  He screamed, "I'm gonna 'F' you up!" and tackled me.  He scratched and clawed at me with his nails.

My eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped open.  Never before has a child of mine been involved in any physical altercation.  "What did you do?!?"

"I was shocked!  I just layed there, staring at him.  He just took the ball and walked away."

At that point, the secretary, who knows me well, called my name.  I walked to her desk with a look of surprise on my face.  She explained that she was attempting to contact the assistant principal, whose line was busy.  "This needs to be reported," she said.  "That's ridiculous!"  My boy is known as a good kid.  He's honest, gets straight As, and is well liked by all the staff.

Because of the aforementioned reasons, I chose not to hang around.  #1 is 14 now and able to handle himself in an adult conversation.

When he got home, he said that the assistant principal had him write down the story on paper.  I asked if he included the part about hitting the ball away from the kid.  He did.  

I got a phone call the next day from this principal who asked the value of the shirt that was ruined.  He said he spoke to the other parents and explained that they should cover the cost of that shirt.

"Don't worry about it," I said.  I try to teach my children to be the bigger person, to turn the other cheek, and forgive others when they've been wronged."  That was difficult to say because I really wanted to say, "THEY SURE BETTER BUY HIM A NEW SHIRT!  PUNK KID!"  Instead, I held my tongue.  The principal was impressed and said he would let the other family know.  He told me disciplinary action had been taken, but he couldn't discuss it with me.  

I was no longer mad.  I'm not even sure why.  I think it was one of those love, joy, peace, longsuffering things, or something.  I felt good after I hung up.  Hopefully, that kid will realize that my boy is a cool, stand-up guy.  He won't be labeled as a wimp, a tattletale, or a goody two-shoes and that kid shouldn't be out  to "get him".  I'm thankful the event wasn't worse that in was, that #1 didn't get seriously injured, and that he wasn't the cause of the problem.

That's my little ray of sunshine for the day!  

Our Appreciation of Teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week was the first week of May, and even though I was about ready to pull my hair out, I still participated.  Our school used to make this celebration a big deal and had daily themes of ways to show appreciation.  The last two PTA presidents have really dropped the ball, if you ask me.  I think they prepared a luncheon for the teachers one day, but they didn't get the students involved at all.  Most of the parents had no clue it was teacher appreciation week, and probably would have participated, had they known.

Anyway, I took matters into my own hands and spent some time on Pinterest.  What was life like before Pinterest?  I highly regret procrastinating joining for so long!  Each day, I chose a small item to send in for Big Sis' awesomely wonderful teacher.  Here's what I came up with for Monday.

(Sorry, had to blur out her name for anonymity.)

On Tuesday....

Wednesday's gift was for a "Tea-rrific" Teacher:

Thursday was, by far, my favorite.  The teacher wasn't going to be there on Friday, so I scrapped my Thursday idea and went right for the best idea.  It was a bento box filled with candy bars, gum, and mints.  I bought one sheet of black scrapbook paper and cut it to fit the top.  Then, I printed a slightly smaller piece of paper with the teacher's name and the word "Stash."  I thought about spelling it "Stache," but decided against it.  Then with the same piece of black paper, I traced one of my photo booth mustaches and glued it in the center.  She specifically mentioned how much she liked the stash!

Sadly, my daughter was the only one in the class the entire week that gave any kind of recognition.  Boo.  Teachers work hard and deserve to be appreciated.  I didn't spend all that much, but coming in to a surprise every day was fun for her, I'm sure.

So, mark your calendars for next year and celebrate the first week of May - Teacher Appreciation Week!

Just MIA, not DOA

Wow, it's been a long time that I've been MIA!  I sincerely apologize for that.  Every year in the Spring, my blog gets neglected.  Fortunately, the craziest part of my year is finally over!  It was a busier "crazy" than usual and I made some decisions so that it will never get that bad again.

Let's see, where do I start to fill you in on Life?  I put away our winter coats.  Then, I got them back out.  I put them away again, and got them back out.  It's been a fickle Spring.  Lately, we've been in the 80s, but tomorrow is supposed to cool down again.

Son #1 turned 14 and #2 turned 12.  Yikes!  For some reason, I always pictured myself being a mom of these little kids.  I never really expected them to grow up.  I'm too young for that.

The photo booth was very slow, which I was extremely thankful for.  I couldn't have handled that on top of everything else.  It's picking up now with wedding season, graduation time, and end of the school year events.  I still love it.

Hubby & I celebrated 17 years of marriage, actually ON a photo booth job.  I was pretty bummed about that, as my hired help fell through, but that's life.  There are way worse things to complain about.

We chose an alternate anniversary and went on a long bike ride, just the two of us.  We rode to the nearest big city's downtown, found some foul baseballs outside the stadium, ate a slice, and just thoroughly enjoyed the weather and each other.

Our children's department at church recorded our second curriculum DVD.  My aunt writes and directs it, and all the kids star in it.  I have made friends with the videographer we have used over the past few years.  His assistant wasn't available the second day of recording, so he was going to set the second camera on a tripod.   When I arrived and asked if anything needed done, he asked me to help film!  It was very fun for me, even though video is not my forte.  I hope I gave him some useful footage, but mostly, I really enjoyed the $5K camera I held in my hands!

I've had quite a few photo shoots lately too.  I've got Seniors for next year coming up, as well as several families.

Most importantly- my big event was successful!  We decided to host our annual banquet at the church this year, rather than going to the big restaurant that keeps raising its prices.  People thought that was awesome.  I highly underestimated the amount of work that switch would involve.  Our theme was Peculiar Princesses, and the script I wrote was my best ever.  Each of the girls in my youth group picked their character, a princess with a unique character flaw.  Then I wrote the script based on their personality and ability.  We had the close talking princess, the body odor princess, and the sings everything princess.  It was quite funny.  It turned out, I subconsciously stole a few things from the princess cartoon Baby Girl watches, and didn't even realize.  Oops!  We had 210 in attendance, our highest since I've been involved.

On Mother's Day, our church showed a video of some of our children being interviewed.  One was my son (#2).  The question was, "What makes your mom powerful?"  He answered that I'm powerful because I'm going to run a half marathon!  Yikes!  I'm feeling so unprepared at this point, and he decided to announce it to the entire church!  Guess I'm committed for sure now!  My Nike app said I hadn't run in 28 days.  Boo!  I made it 2 1/2 miles with just a tad of intermittent walking.  Fortunately, I wasn't too sore afterward.  I think those 12 mile bike rides are helping out too.

That's probably enough info to keep you entertained for now.  I'll be back to chat later.  Missed you all!

~she~

Complaining in the Rain

I encountered a woman yesterday who is so very bitter about her lack of "stuff" in life.  She's a woman I stand next to every day on the sidewalk of the school.  We wait together for our kids to be dismissed.  We've exchanged the basic pleasantries, but I don't even know her name.  I know she's a single mom who walks to school every day.  During bad weather, I notice she often catches a ride with a neighbor.

Yesterday, it was raining cats and dogs (and elephants and hippopotamuses).  I had to pick up Son #1 and his tuba first, then go directly to Big Sis' school.  When I parked, I realized I didn't have an umbrella.  Growling, I realized that Hubby probably had at least three in his car.  I couldn't see the pickup spot from my car to know if it was time yet.  So I threw my coat over my head and ran to the sidewalk.  I noticed The Woman had a huge umbrella and I planned to ask if I could stand underneath with her.  As soon as I approached, the wind took her umbrella and demolished it.  She cursed and threw the umbrella down.  I muttered something halfway funny about us both being in bad shape, but she wasn't amused.  Realizing that the teacher wasn't there with her class yet, I ran back to wait in my car.

When the students finally arrived, I ran back through the flooded parking lot and picked up Big Sis.  I still had to pick up my little cousin on the other side of the parking lot, so I walked Big Sis back to the car.  It was then that I saw The Woman getting ready to walk home with her daughter.  "Do you guys want a ride?" I asked.  She exuberantly accepted and I pointed out my car to her.  "Go get in my van while I pick up my cousin," I told her.  "My kids are in there."

I splish-sploshed to the other end of the line, retrieved my cousin, and ran back to the car.  The Woman was in the front while my kids sat in the back.  I knew about where The Woman lived, which was on the way to my cousin's house.  I surely didn't mind giving her a lift.

We engaged in small talk on the ride, discussing the weather and other things.  She wondered if we would get a snow day this week.  I replied that a snow day would be nice.  She said she hoped not tomorrow, because she had a work appointment.  "Oh, where do you work?" was the natural response.  "I don't work," she replied.  I said something breezy in response and then asked if she was still in school.  She mentioned school once before to me.  No, she's not in school either.  That's when my problem began.

This woman does not work.  She does not take classes.  She has one child who is in school most of the day.  Yet she complains.  She complains about her junky phone.  She complains about having to walk to school.  She complains about not having a car.  I'm not sure what she does all day, but now I know that it's not work.

Pardon me for my frankness, but I was raised with the belief that you had to lie in the bed you made for yourself.  In other words, if you don't have a job, you can't expect to have nice things.  Am I alone in this?  This woman apparently lives totally on the government.  She has no live-in boyfriend supporting her. She has a home, food, nice clothes, and a cell phone.  Who is paying for these things?  She's not disabled.

I am getting sick and tired of this lazy society that expects someone else to take care of their needs.  I will continue to be nice to The Woman, as I am a nice person.  I will offer her rides home on rainy days because I believe in lending a hand to the less fortunate.  I can't say that I'm happy with the situation though.

Maybe I'm the only one who has these thoughts and I'm sure I'll hear from those who don't share my opinion.  I'm just getting fed up and needed to vent about it.  It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to!