Day 25 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 25: If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

President Bill Clinton.  Not sure what we would eat, maybe make him eat Korean food?  I would like to ask him why he became the man he did.  There are so many things that he could/should have done differently while in offices.  Why not just be honest?  Why politics?  So he could lie and get away with it?

Spank-tacular Hashbrowns

YUM!!!  I wanted to eat them so badly after they were done cooking that I didn't have time to take a picture or let them cool down!

1 package of hashbrowns (it was a little over 1.5 pounds)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of Colbyjack shredded cheese (2 cups)
A BIG pinch of minced garlic and onion

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9X13 pan with nonstick spray.  Mix soup and hashbrowns together.  Make a thin layer of this mixture on the bottom of the pan.  Mix remaining mixture with the remaining ingredients.  Spread over the 1st thin layer.  Bake for an hour or until golden brown.   Yummy!

Is It Already Day 24?

Day 24: Describe your family dynamic from your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.

Well, I’ve touched on it a little.  I was not so good to my parents at a young (teenage) age.  There were several few times where I thought they were going to disown me.  They didn't :) yea!  Now, I think we have a great family dynamic.  I get along very well with my parents and brother.  They get along well with my husband and who couldn’t LOVE my little hellyens?

I have "As" in a Q & A

Over at Monkeys and Tutus, I participated in a little Q & A about potty training!  Here's a link, go take a look :)

Zoo Days

Today was another zoo day.  I love zoo days.  I get to be outside (normally bleck, but I like being outside at the zoo), wear the kids out~while they are having fun, and spend little to no money.

The Minnesota Zoo has a lot to offer a family.  It can easily be a few days long if you want to see everything.  Thank you parents, for the lovely Christmas gift of the annual zoo pass.  It is GREAT!  We go a lot, since we don't have to pay to get in each time.  Also, it allows me some "extra" money to do fun thinks like get the girls' picture taken with the dolphins (who are leaving shortly, *tear*) today.

On Friday, we went with a good friend who has two kids, similar ages to Ms. Middle and Little Baby.  Today we went with another good friend and she has kids similar in age to all three girls.  Our oldests played pretty well together.  At least this time mine didn't end up with an eye full of sand.  Today, we explored the Tropics and Minnesota Trail.  Then we had lunch with our friends and played at the "water park" and the big playground/tree house for about 2 hours.  They had so much fun.  It was really nice!  Such a great day out today!!

So, they had a farmer's market today, from 10am-2pm.  We got some good looking green and wax beans, zucchini, and honey sticks.  On Saturday, we had gotten eggplant from a different farmers market, so tonight we will have zucchini/eggplant pasta with rotisserie chicken.   A quick saute on the veggies, pick up the chicken on the way to pick up the Hubs, cooking pasta now.  Quick and easy.  Woo-hoo!

Day 23 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 23: List your top 3 hobbies and why you love them.

1)  Singing in the car.  Hey, I was a voice major; I think I should get some use out of it, yes?

2)  Watching my kids interact.  Yes, this has become a hobby for me.  I do it all day, and sometimes it’s really amusing.

3)  I guess blogging would be the third.  I don’t really do much else :)

Day 22 ~ Future Plans?

Day 22: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

In 5 years, I will be 36.  My kids will be Kindergartener, 3^rd and 5^th graders.  My husband and I will be married for 10 years.  Let’s see…I would like to have my real estate license and have a good client base.

In 10 years, I will be 41 (gasp!) and have been married for 15 years.  The Big One will be learning how to drive, so I see myself with a HIGH car insurance payment and a LOW deductible.  I hope we own a house by then (if not by 5 years from now), it would be a shame if we didn’t.

15 years from now, I will be 46 (and for some reason, that doesn’t freak me out like seeing 41 did).  The Big One will be in college and about to be able to legally drink (scary)!!!!!!!!  Little Baby will be 15 and learning how to drive.  I hope to have a thriving real estate business, possibly with some rental homes of my own.

Day 21 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 21: If you could have 1 superpower, what would it be and what would be the first thing you did with it?

I would like to have the superpower to save anyone in danger.  I think the first thing I do with it is obvious.  I would save someone in danger…

Oh My Goodness! Another Award!

Thank you to Kate at Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine With My Morning Quite Time? for nominating me for the Liebster Award!

The Liebster Awards is given to bloggers by bloggers.  It is given to up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers (so I fit fantastically into that category).  It is a way to acknowledge and encourage each other, and it is a great way to spread the word about smaller blogs who deserve a larger audience.

Here are the tasks one must complete after receiving the Liebster Award:

1)  Each person must list 11 things about themselves.

2)  Answer the 11 questions that the tagger has set for you PLUS you MUST create 11 questions of your own for the 11 people you will nominate with the award.

3)  Choose up to 11 bloggers linking them to your post.

4)  Go to their pages and inform them of the nominations.

5)  Absolutely NO tag backs.

6)  Remember to ONLY tag bloggers with less than 200 followers.

So, here are the questions Kate asked of her nominees:

1)  What is your favorite book of all time?

          Pride and Prejudice~Jane Austin

2)  Who is your favorite comedian?

          My Uncle Chuck.  He's funny and isn't horribly crude.

3)  What made you want to start blogging?

          My whole life changed.  I had wanted to blog for awhile, but never really thought I had enough to say.

4)  What is your least favorite food?

          Bul-Go-Gi (Korean Bar-be-que)

5)  Introvert or extrovert?

          Depends on how well you know me.

6)  Where did you grow up?

          Minneapolis

7)  Where was your last place you went on vacation?

          My parents house,  two hours away from my home.

8)  What is your biggest pet peeve?

          Other's people's feet...and I'm not that keen on mine either.

9)  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

          My stomach, it's fat; because I had four kids and never did anything to not make it fat.

10)  Who is your favorite Olympian?

          I don't remember her name, but that gymnast who vaulted on a broken leg...that's just bonkers.

11)  What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

          What's breakfast?

My nominees are:
Karen @ Baking in a Tornado, rockinabbs29 @ Confessions of an Imperfect Mom, Leslie @ Violet Imperfection, Wendy @ Saved Sister, Jen @ Our Happy Family, Mary @ One Realistic Mom, Neisa @ Luca Loo and Whoopie Do, Kendra @ Kendra Kay, Five Little Chefs, Charlotte @ BericeBaby, and Jackie @ Chronicles of Momnia.
My questions of my nominees:
1)  What is your favorite color and how many rooms in your house are painted it?
2)  Who is your favorite Disney movie character and are your more similar or different from them?
3)  What is your favorite blog (share link, please) and why?
4)  What kind of car do you drive and is it your dream car?
5)  How many kids do you have and how many do/did you want?
6)  What is the highest formal level of education do you have?
7)  Do you have pets?  If so, what type?
8)  What did you do on your last "date night"?
9)  Chunky or smooth peanut butter?
10)  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
11)  Big wedding or small wedding?

3 Significant Memories for Day 20

Day 20: Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

1)  My good friend, Emily, cutting her foot on a piece of glass while we were trying to get cookies:

                We REALLY wanted more cookies and they were in a cabinet high up.  So, we decided to climb onto the counter, via me boosting Emily up, then her reaching down to pull me up.  So, we got her onto the counter and she was turning around to pull me up and she knocked over a glass jar.  It was empty and I cannot remember what was supposed to be in it.  We were both very startled and she fell off the counter, but on her feet…right on the pile of glass that had gone on the floor.  Now, my compassionate mother comes into the kitchen screaming something about what did we break now? and didn’t realize Emily had cut her foot Emily and I both saw the blood and started to scream amidst our cries.  Emily ended up needing a few stitches on the bottom of her foot, but she lived!

2)  Also, with my good friend, Emily, smashing my class’ hamster under the couch and trying to tell my mom it just flattened.

            We had taken out the hamster to run it around the house.  Well, it took off for under the couch.  We tried to get it out with food and water and one of us on either end of the couch.  Nothing worked.  So, as we are VERY intelligent girls, we decide to lift up the couch.  So we do.  We see the hamster.  We both grab for the hamster…see where this is going?  NO ONE IS HOLDING THE COUCH and crash, it smuched the hamster.  Then, we tried to tell my mom that the hamster was just letting out his air and he would inflate eventually.  Obviously, she didn’t go for that.  So, we had to tell her what had happened and four months’ worth of allowance from each of us and two weeks of not seeing each other later, we bought my class a new hamster for someone else to smush.

3)  Almost being paralyzed by another 1^st grader in choir.

            Apparently, there was a boy that sat behind me in choir who had a crush on me.  His way of showing me was to pull the chair out from under me when we were standing to sing, so when I went to sit down, I’d miss.  Well, my butt missed, but my neck and the back of my head didn’t.  Ambulance called, I don’t think I rode to the hospital in it, but I did have a nifty neck collar on when I was at the doctor (which is what I remember next).  Massive headache and whiplash later, I was in school and that boy was in the front of the choir (so he couldn’t pull anymore chairs out) even though he was WAY taller than anyone else – still is to this day!

Day 19 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 19: If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

Austria.  I went there in college for a J-term abroad and it was SO lovely.  There is so much musical history and such ease to get almost anywhere else in Europe.

Day 18 - Forgiveness

Day 18: What is the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?

Being Christian, shouldn't this question be easy?  I can forgive anything, right?  I can do this because I know that I am not to judge, but to help guide people in the way of the Lord and...blah, blah, blah!  I am Christian, but I still have a hard time forgiving people for hurting my family.

A1’s father leaving me in our predicament and “sicking” his mother on me to do his dirty work.  I am working on my Birth Mother blog.  It is in the beginning stages.  I hope to get it completed by September 2012.

Day 17 ~ Aren't I great at EVERYTHING?!?

Day 17: What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

Being the Number 1 at anything.  I don’t really have a specific thing that I would like to be great at, but if there was ONE thing, I would like to be THE BEST at it.

Day 16 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be personal or professional accomplishments, so I mixed them up.

Day 16: What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

1)   The relationship with my parents

2)  My family and being able to stay home with my girls

3)  The relationship with my brother

4)  Having a position created for me at a Fortune 500 company

5)  Being the youngest store manager at two different companies

Eggplant Parmesan

24 or so Ounces of Your Favorite Red Pasta Sauce ~or~
(My NEW Homemade Red Sauce)
Ape Load of {Mixed Small on Vine/Roma} Tomatoes (I used about half an ice cream bucket full - fresh)
1/4 Cup Sea Salt (Finely Ground)
1/4 Cup Italian Seasoning Mixture
1/4 Cup Diced White Onion (Sauteed)
3-5 Tablespoons {each} Minced Garlic, Chopped Bay Leaves, Chopped Parsley, Finely Chopped Basil, and Finely Chopped Oregano

2 Large Eggplants
2 Cups of Italian Style Breadcrumbs (store bought or homemade)
1/4 Cup Ground Parmesan Cheese
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Milk (1% or 2% - skim doesn't hold as well)

1 Pound Thin Spaghetti Noodles (or your favorite pasta) - cooked

Ok, now, before we start this adventure, I must be honest...I did not actually measure anything.  I think I used about the measurements of each item above...except the Eggplant.  I know I used two of those.

So...on to the red sauce:
Get the gross tops off the tomatoes and cut them up.  Bring the tomatoes to a boil and (MINUS the salt), add the half of seasoning measurements.  Boil for about five (5) minutes.  Strain the mixture and puree the big hunks (but put the rest of the liquid back into your pot).  Simmer this for about ten (10) minutes.  Strain mixture again.  Anything left in the strainer toss, anything strained, put back into pot.  Add the other half of the seasonings (to taste).  Add salt (to taste) I didn't use as much as the Hubs would have, he just put more on at the table.  If mixture is too sweet, add a little more salt than you normally would.  If mixture is too thin, add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste, but watch out for making it too sweet.  After adding seasonings, bring to a boil again, then simmer for 10-20 minutes (the longer you simmer, the thicker it will get).

While simmering, you can start the Eggplant portion of the evening.  Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease the bottom of two (2) cookie sheets.  Mix the eggs and milk together in a bowl and mix the breadcrumbs and cheese into another bowl.  Thinly slice the eggplant (I did about 1/8 inch and they cooked up quickly, you can do thicker, but they take longer to bake and are drier).  Drip eggplant into egg/milk mixture, take out and let drip, then cover both sides with the breadcrumb/cheese mixture.  Place onto cookie sheet.  They can be very close together, as they will shrink while cooking, but expand.  Once done, put cookie sheets into the oven for 20 minutes.  Eggplant should me slightly smaller, the breadcrumbs should be dried and the edges should be ever so gently curling.  The middles should be soft.

You can cook the noodles while the Eggplant is baking.

Once all is done cooking, put Spaghetti Noodles on plate (or bowl), then Eggplant, then Sauce.  Garnish with Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese and/or a sprig of fresh parsley.

Day 15 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 15: If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

A Monkey…DUH!

You knew she'd come out sooner or later, didn't you?

Day 14...Wow, I Can't Believe I've Done This For Two Weeks!

Day 14: Describe 5 strengths you have.

1)  I can be assertive.  I say “can be” because I choose not to be at times.  Anytime I think there will be a negative reaction that will outlast the outcome, my trap stays shut.  Now, there have been times where this “radar” of sorts has NOT worked, and there have been times that I wanted to kick me for NOT saying something, but that’s life.

2)  A caring personality.  I am compassionate, but there’s always room for improvement.

3)  I can drive…

4)  I can fly…just kidding, I can’t, but I’m funny :)

5)  Hiring promotable people.  This has been a helpful skill while in the retail world.  Not so much where I am now, but if I ever have to go back into the workforce, I hope I still have this skill!

WOW! I won an award :)

Wow!  How exciting, to wake up to an email telling you that you've won an award!  It totally helped my day start out great!  Thank you to Sorry Kid, Your Mom Doesn't Play Well With Others!

Here are the Rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1)  Add the award to your blog

2)  Thank the person who presented it to you (with a link, of course)

3)  List SEVEN random facts about yourself

4)  List the Rules

5)  Pass the award onto SEVEN other bloggers

6)  Inform each blogger they have won by posting a comment on their blog

I've linked my SEVEN blog winners here, stop by and say "hi" to them!

1)  Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine With My Morning Quite Time?  2)  Jam's Corner  3)  Sunnys Thundercloud  

4)  Five Little Chefs  5)  Disney Girl   6)  Big A, Little a  7)  Pointing Up

Ok, so it took me a little extra time to do the SEVEN random facts about myself, because I had just done it in my 30 Day Blog Challenge   :)
1)  I'm not as compassionate when my kiddos are sick as I would like to me.  I try, but I am failing.
2)  Making a tomato sauce is WAY harder than it should be...post to come (I'll even do a picture!!!)
3)  As much milk as I DON'T have, I lactate every time the Little "talks" to me.
4)  Saturday was the first time out with a babysitter that wasn't family or a really good friend in ALL OF THE BIG ONES LIFE (that's five years, folks).
5)  The Middle's nebulizer makes me jealous I don't have a penguin shaped one.
6)  I cheat a cold by using my daughters nebulizer and "sailine-ing" myself to thin my mucus (sorry, I'm really reaching, I'm just not that interesting).
7)  Last fact, this was a lot easier than the first time, because I wasn't as worried if people would like it...and I still started each fact with a different word!

Day 13 - Weaknesses

Day 13: Describe 5 weaknesses you have.

1)  I am timid when I first meet people – Yes, it’s true!

2)  My girls and what they want – Isn’t this every mother’s weakness?

3)  My Husband – No matter how frustrating he is, I still love him and forgive him and get along with him.

4)  I talk too much – Yup, I do

5)  Feet – Yes, I’m obsessive about them.  My hatred of feet gets in the way, a lot more than one would think.

A Day in The Life of...Day 12

Day 12: Describe a typical day in your life.

7:45am             Wake up

8:00am            Wake girls up

8:30am            Take Hubby to work

9:30am            Get home and make breakfast

10:30am           Go for a walk or make a picnic lunch and get swim suits on

11:00am            (If a picnic day)  Go to the pool

11:30am            (If not a picnic day) Get home and make lunch while girls play in room

12:30pm           Lunch

1:30pm             (If a picnic day) Go home and change out of swim suits

2:00pm            Nap for the girls, GH for the Mommy

4:30pm            The Big One wakes up

5:00pm            The Middle wakes up

5:15pm             Snack Time

6:00pm            Pick Hubby up from work

7:00pm             Get home

7:30pm             Dinner

9:00pm            Pick up room

9:30pm            Get ready for bed and last show(s)

10:00-10:30pm Bed Time

Somewhere in the middle, the Little One wakes up, eats, naps and throws fits and I loose my mind...

Day 11 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 11: Describe a few of your pet peeves.

DOUBLE NEGATIVES – There is nothing worse than, “I don’t not do that!”

Feet – ICK!

Sunday drivers, especially on any other day of the week – Do I really need to explain why?

Day 10 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 10: Describe your most embarrassing moment.

My most embarrassing moment was when I was trying out for the school play and was partnered with a VERY handsome guy (who is now a famous actor).  I was SO nervous just being at the call-backs, and then to be paired with HIM…yea, I didn’t get the part.  I stumbled all over myself and was so meek no one could hear me.

Dear Clothing Store Chains...

I took my oldest, who is five, school shopping today.  We left the store with some nice items, but I also left feeling like a Mean Mommy.  She wanted all these clothes that are totally inappropriate for her to wear...then I was thinking to myself: "WHY DO THEY EVEN HAVE THESE IN HER SIZE?!?" Off the shoulder-midrift-bearring-lacy shirts with a sports bra style thingy under it in 5, 6 and 6X. Shorts that had a inseam of half an inch, if there even was one. Skirts with holes on the sides. I about flipped out when I saw these outfits. Mind you, this was the first time I went into the girls section with her. Poor thing found all of these "cute" things that Mommy wouldn't let her get. I dragged her back into the Toddler section and found a lot of cute stuff...for really cheap, too!

Day 9 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 9: List 3 people who have influenced you, and how.

1)  Dana Carmichael(-Tanaka), my 7^th grade Social Studies teacher and non-church Christian mentor.  She helped me realize that God was everywhere.  I guess I was more of a church-goer until I met her, then after my oldest daughter was born, became a true Christian.

2)  Neil Anderson, my 9^th grade Social Studies teacher.  No one in the education industry is as open, honest and caring as this man.  We were put to the test over two HUGE issues during my high school career.  Not only was (is) he a fantastic teacher, he is a phenomenal mentor.  Anyone who has the privilege of learning in one of his classes is a lucky human.  I am extra lucky, because he was able to help me through two tough times, one of them being the suicide of a boy I had a crush on, who also happened to be his nephew, within the first month of my high school days.

3)  President Bill Clinton.  People will reprimand him for being unfaithful and for lying.  What they should also take away is “be who you are, no matter what”.  He is and was who he is.  No amount of primping and poking and preparing helped him survive his tobackles.   He was vetted and approved by the majority of Democrats, even with his adulterous politics in Arkansas.  He openly cheated on his wife there, why would he stop in the White House?  She had plans of her own; it just took several years for the rest of the Country to figure that out.

Day 8 - Passions

Day 8: What are 3 passions you have?

1)  My family.  I know I sound like a crazy woman/mother, listing my family and kids so much on this blog challenge, but they really are the most important thing in my life.  I have been in so many different “places” but I am very passionate about my family and their wellbeing.  I want my children to have a healthy relationship with my parents and their Grandmother on my husband’s side.  My children will know that they are loved and I hope that they will be passionate about their families as they get older and grow their own.

2)  My Church.  After I had my first child (not my oldest), I took a hiatus from church and from God.  I am not “reborn”, because I don’t think I was ever born before to have to be reborn.  Yes, I was Baptized and Confirmed at my church, but I don’t think I realized His word and workings until after my oldest was born.  When my oldest was born, I decided I needed to take her to church and I needed to find God.  So I did.

3)  Television.  I really should watch less television, but there are so many different shows that I am addicted to.  Besides, isn’t being addicted to a few television shows better than tobacco or alcohol or street drugs?  

Breastfeeding

I know breastfeeding is a sensitive topic for a lot of people.  Now, I don't want to debate where and where NOT to do it and how much to or how much NOT to cover, but I would like to talk about struggles or successes people have had.  I am the mother of 3.5 kiddos and attempted to nurse the full three, and was not very successful at any of them.

With the first one, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I was young and not very informed about the process (and I say process, because it has been one for me).  The baby would wake up at night and cry.  Sometimes I would wake up and sometimes my husband would wake up and take care of her.  When I woke up, I would nurse her, when he would wake up, he would feed her formula from a bottle.  Now, there's nothing wrong with being formula/bottle fed.  Don't get me wrong, but I was loosing valuable breast milk by allowing him to do this.  Too bad I didn't realize this until after my milk dried up less than six weeks into being a new mother.

For the second, I was very intent on ONLY breastfeeding.  I told him he wasn't allowed to feed her unless it is pumped milk and there was only a little of that.  If he woke up and I did not, he MUST awaken the "monster" of me.  It didn't matter how tired he thought I was or how rough my day had been, he was to awaken the "beast".  I had meetings with the lactation consultant once a week for three weeks.  We took the baby to doctors appointments every other day for weight checks, but I was starving her.  Still not successful, my milk dried up within five weeks after she was born.

Now, my last born almost five months ago and I am still nursing her at night.  It took A LOT of work to get where we are, and it's not too far.  I pump once a day (and get only about two ounces from each side) and she nurses two or three times through the night.  That's it.  Nothing more.  Again, for the first two weeks, we were in for weight checks every other day and I was starving her.  We had to start supplementing at day 10.

This time around, I went to lactation consultants every three days for four visits, the doctor every other day for two weeks, took Fenugreek like it was Tic-Tacs, took Reglan for a month, drank up a lake or two, and drank so much root beer I should have bought stock and the bartenders thought I was nuts (I really like 1919 on tap).  I didn't go to the dark beer, because I don't like it and by the time I was desperate enough to consider it, I was told I was starving my child.  So, we are where we are now.

I am thinking about trying to gain more milk, now that I am staying at home.  I think I know where to start, but I am not going to try more drugs.  I have yet to take any allergy medicine, as to not dry up anything milk glands on accident...and my nose is paying for it.

So...what are your breastfeeding stories?  What are some of the wives' tales you've heard of?  Did you or anyone you know try them?  Did they work?

Day 7 of My 30 Day Challenge

Day 7: What is your dream job, and why?

When I was younger, I never thought this is what my dream job would be.  I didn’t want kids, I liked to work, typical youngster in their late teens/early twenties…now, though, I have my dream job.  I have wanted to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom for five years, and this May, we made it happen.  My friends and family have all said they can tell how much happier I am, being home with the girls.  It is probably just as stressful as my last full-time job out of the house, but so much more rewarding.

Day 6 of My 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 6: What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

This one is easy; placing my daughter for adoption.  I knew and know that it was the right decision for me, but it was still had on the day her parents took her home and I went home to nothing but engorged boobs and a few boxes of Kleenex.

Day 5 of My 30 Day Challenge

Day 5: What are the 5 things that make you happiest right now?

My kids, my kids, my kids, my kids and my kids…oh wait; I can’t use them five times?

1)  My family.  All of them, extended included (on my side).  I am so happy with the way my family interacts now.  It saddens me to have my brother so far away, but I am glad that he has turned a corner and wants to be a part of our family again.  He was “lost” for a few years, but has since realized that family is an important part of life.  We have realized that as much as we would prefer for him to be closer, it’s better to have a real connection than to have him “touchable”.

2)  Sleep.  I really enjoy my sleep.  All through my life, I have been a napper.  When I can, I nap.  I enjoy curling up with my body pillows, snuggling with my kids or husband and hunkering down, under my soft blanket. 

3)  White Collar, the television show.  I love this show.  It is the only one that I make my kids go somewhere else while I watch it.  Usually, my husband does something in their room with them, or they watch “Lem” a lot, but they are not allowed to talk while Mommy is watching Matt Bomer!

4)  When the Middle goes on the toilet.  Yep, it’s potty training time at my house!  The Middle was doing pretty well, until the Little one came.  Understandably, the setback occurred.  I was prepared for it, but it still bites the big one.  She is getting better over the last few days.  If she keeps this up, she’ll be potty trained by the end of the month!

5)  Not working at a full-time job.  I really like staying at home with the girls.  How did I go so long working?  I know; I trusted my husband to while I worked out of the home.  Don’t get me wrong, he did very well, but he cannot compare to me.  Not that I am doing a better job, but we do a lot more than they did before.   I think we are going to start weekly trips to the zoo before the Big one starts Kindergarten.  The littler two and I may continue while the big one is at school, but shhhhhh, don’t tell her!

Day 4 of My 30 Day Challenge

Day 4: List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self if you could.

1)  Driving isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Don’t get me wrong, I would be sad if I didn’t know how to drive, but you’ll be driving for the rest of your life (God permitted) so why rush things?  You suck at it at first, even though in your mind you’re fan-freakin’-tastic at it, but really?  You’re not.  Hopefully, you’ll learn from mistakes and get better.  Some won’t. 

2)  College will come soon enough.  In fact, it will come next year.  I was always friends with people a grade or two (or three) older than me.  My most memorable friendship in high school was actually my ASL lab partner at the U of M.  She was a senior at the University.  My high school only had Spanish classes up to level five, which I completed my sophomore year, so I was able to study it at the University for my junior year.  Most of my classes the second half of my junior year and all of my senior year were at the U of M.  I only had English and Psychology at the high school.

3)  Money doesn’t grow on trees, so quit spending it stupidly.  Having been in financial trouble and trying to get out of debt, this one is important for me to get into my children’s heads.  I don’t want them to get into the same financial issues that I have been through.  In the end, I do acknowledge that it was entirely my fault, but it sure would be nice if stores and credit companies would stop pushing credit cards down young people’s throats.

4)  Your metabolism will stop being good to you.  After being 135 pounds for all of my high school and college careers, standing at a short 5’2” and 169 pounds is a kick in the @**.  I like food.  I will not stop eating to get skinny, but I do need to loose around forty pounds…someday…

5) YOU’LL GET OVER HIM!  I dated this guy; with who I was madly in love with.  He was my first love.  When he broke up with me, I felt like my life was over.  Now, this break up was probably the worst in my life.  I had to see him most of the school day because almost all of our classes were together.  Then, about a week later, my Grandma died.  She was the person in my extended that I was closest with.  After her death, the relationship with my Grandpa was never the same (probably my only BIG regret in life was how our relationship was when he passed, it wasn’t bad, it just WAS…).

Life is hard as a 16 year old, why do we make it more complicated?  It’s simple.  Life goes on.  While we think it is ending, our elders know better and as they say, “hind-sight is 20/20”!

Day 3 of my 30 Day Challenge

Day 3: Describe your relationship with your parents.

Currently, I have a great relationship with my parents.  It has been tumultuous at times, but we are in a good place now.

I was adopted when I was 5 months old, from South Korea.  My parents had tried for several years to conceive, but it did not work out.  Some people say that adoptees cannot possibly be well-adjusted individuals, not knowing who their biological parents are.  I say those people are out of their minds.  I am as adjusted as the guy next to me (who happens to be my husband, and I suppose he’s well-adjusted).  When I was little, I used to say something mean and hurtful to my parents about needing to “find my REAL parents”.  Now that I’m a parent, I see how hurtful that was.  At the time, I just wanted to get my way and that was the best way to get it.  I have apologized to my parents for all the hurtful things I said and did about wanting to find my biological parents.  I no longer have the desire to find them.  I have no need.  Understand this, I know that could change, but realistically, there are billions of people in South Korea and a random two are my biologicals…yea, ‘cuz that would be easy to find (talk about a needle in a haystack).

Anyhow, the basic point is that all children and parents go through rough patches; it’s how it all turns out in the end.  Right now, we are going on a fantastic track.  To me, we are heading down the right road.

Day 2 of my 30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 2: Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and describe how they became fears.

1)  Spiders. I have no idea how they became a fear of mine, but I cannot stand them. I actually made my at-the-time 3 year old kill one in the bathroom because I was too scared. I called her in from playing with her toys, told her to get a tissue and smash the black thing crawling on the wall. Poor little thing did it… 

2)  Clowns. Have you ever seen the movie Clown House? Well, if you have, the opening scene, where they are playing poker, one clown cheats and the other literally rips the cheating clowns jaw off…need I explain more? ICK!

3)   People touching my feet. Gross. It actually grosses me out SO much that I fear my children will touch them all day long. I flinch when someone brushes against my feet. I shudder when someone THINKS about touching my feet.

30 Day Blog Challenge...Jumping on the Train

Well, it seems the new trend is to do the 30 Day Blog Challenge.  So, from my cousin, Kate, I'm here to start my challenge.

Day 1:  List 10 Random Facts About Yourself

1)  My favorite food is cheese and I am lactose intolerant.  Yes, this makes for a not-so-pleasant time after eating the cheese, but most of the time, it's worth it.  Take last night for example; we had stuffed baked potatoes.  I had vegetables, chicken (cherry flavored, way good), cheese and ranch dressing on mine.  While I was adding the scrumptious, finely shredded, sharp cheddar cheese in two layers--one under the vegetables and one over--I thought to myself, you should stop.  Well, I didn't and boy was that a kick @** stuffed potato!  I think the second layer of cheese is really what did it, but I'm going to blame the peas :)

2)  There is a mole on my face that keeps growing, and I'm fairly sure the part that is colored keeps moving.  I think it used to be a beauty mark, right smack on my face, but for awhile now, I think it started to grow.  I have asked a few medical professionals about it and they all say, "if you want us to biopsy it, we can, but cancer doesn't usually grown there."  Seriously?!?  There's a place cancer USUALLY grows?  Please, tell me more.  I would like to have this place looked at not and every time I go to the doctor's office, just to see if this magical place has procured cancer...Well, I have decided that it isn't growing enough to warrant the pain of a biopsy, but if it did, I could guarantee, cancer COULD grow there.

3)  Purple USED to be my favorite color, but I think I'm partial to blue now.  Everyone gets me purple for Christmas and my birthday and any other occasion that they are buying something for me, so I think I'm just "purpled out".  I still really like the color, after all, it was one of my wedding colors.

4)  I would like to marry Justin Timberlake, Matt Bomer and Stephanie March.  Yes, all of them, and yes, my husband knows.  The are commonly known to my closest of friends as my 2nd husband (Justin Timberlake), my 3rd husband (Matt Bomer) and the gal I would have an affair with (take a guess as to which one).

5)  Twitter is something I don't think I'll ever learn.  Not that I want to send a statement or anything, it just doesn't make sense to me.  I fb all the time, have a phone to text with and email people.  I hardly have enough to say on fb, why do I need to tweet I have no life?

6)  On one hand it's extremely funny that my kids can't say Band-Aid, on the other hand, it's quite annoying.  Bam-baid isn't a word and both halves of the hyphen came up as spelled wrong.

7)  Measuring the dry ingredients is for dummies.  Only a handful of recipes are staples for my family.  I have about four totally memorized.  Any other, I need to look up.  Even then, they always turn out different, because I don't measure the dry ingredients...well, like if it said 4 cups of flour, I'd measure out the 4 cups and most or more would make it into the bowl.

8)  Starting each number with a different word was the hardest personal task I've done in a long time.  I didn't want to start each number out with "I".  There just isn't that much fun or interesting about me.

9)  This is harder than I thought it would be.  I thought this would be a piece of cake, after all, I know myself better than anyone else...right?

10)  I have 3.5 kids.  3.5 you ask?  Yes, 3.5.  I birthed 4 children, the first, I placed for adoption, hence the .5 kid.