Fakey Food...

So I started working on Luke's birthday presents... he's been really interested in the felt food set I made the kids for Christmas, so I decided to make some additions to the set....

We have his favorite, 'Za 'Za....

Another favorite. Ice cream cone (strawberry, and chocolate) with some whipped cream on top. No room for a cherry, oops... maybe next time.

What I had made previously, for Christmas...

We have breakfast (egg, sausage, bacon and toast with butter)...

Lunch (the bread used previously for breakfast, with sandwich fixin's, pictured better below; watermelon and a carrot, yum)...

And dinner (chicken drumstick, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with butter).

Everything set out... from top to bottom, (row 1) watermelon, cake, bread, peanut butter, ham, (row 2) egg, cherry danish, bread again, jelly, cheese, (bottom) bacon, sausage, butter, carrot, tomato slice, lettuce, mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken, green beans, and at the very end a cucumber slice.



Now for the birthday, I have the pizza and ice cream... trying to think of what else to make? I think I'll be doing some chocolate chip cookies, a strawberry, maybe a banana... a few more lettuce leaves so there can be pretend salad, and I was considering the makings of a taco... yellow corn tortilla, meat blob, sour cream, cheese shreds. They already have the veggies for it!

I know I'm not the first person ever to do this, but it's something I"m super proud of and hope my kids keep until they have kids and my grandkids can play with it... that's why I want to add to it. I was considering making sushi, too... maybe... hmm.

I am a dork. Isn't it awesome? :P

When Ants Attack!!!

&$#$#^&!!!!!!! Seriously. Ants. Everywhere in my kitchen, all day long... just all of a sudden, today. None yesterday, dozens when we woke up. I've killed at least 100 of them throughout the day, no exaggerating. MY HOUSE IS NOT DIRTY!!! I freaked out midday and got down on my hands and knees in the kitchen with a bucket of bleach water and soap, a scrub brush no bigger than one you scrub your nails with, and a drying towel and scrubbed every inch of the floor, square tile by square tile. Seriously. It took an hour. It seemed to work for a couple of hours, but now they're back again. I'm going to seriously, seriously lose it. I hate bugs, I hate bugs in my kitchen, I hate VAST QUANTITIES of bugs in my kitchen, and I hate not being able to do anything about it. I am itchy from knowing that there's ants everywhere and I can't get rid of them. Every time I go into my kitchen I have to kill like 10 of them. It's so sick, and so frustrating. ARGH! Waaahhh!!!

Can I say it again, I can't WAIT until we move. 34 days. That's all. Until then, I have to pray the sugar ants don't eat us in our sleep. Eww.

Meanwhile, it's been too hot to pack, so I'm not getting anything done. Sigh.

Hopefully better news tomorrow.

Packing!

I've been going insane since Friday packing up crap and throwing stuff away... it seems as though the "we're moving, must pack" factor is combining with the nesting instinct of late pregnancy to create the perfect storm of energy to get stuff OUT, NOW. We're even doing a yard sale (eek!) next Wednesday (Fourth of July). Maybe Thursday too. So not looking forward, but if it'll get stuff out of our apartment and maybe make a few bucks too, I'm willing to expend that much energy. Hopefully people buy our junk... one girl's trash is supposedly another old lady's treasure, right?
Besides that, I've been packing up the stuff we DO want to keep, but aren't using at this moment, into boxes (which I've run out of, must find more). And to top it all off, today is garbage day, we have 5 bags of garbage (FIVE!) already PLUS recycling, and I haven't even gone through the whole house yet.

HOW DID WE AQUIRE SO MUCH CRAP?!?!

Who knows, but it's not all coming with us to our pretty new house. I will make sure of it... single-handedly, if I must (and it seems as though that's how it's gonna be).

To Do Today:

• Go through junk room's closet (the scariest part of the junk room, by far).
• Go through miscellaneous appliances and pots/pans in bottom kitchen counters.
• Go through all jewelry, untangle and organize accordingly, pack away jewelry box.
• Throw away good amount of bottles/cannisters/etc. in bathroom. Pack the rest we want but don't need soon.
• Pack kids' VHS movies, put others into sale box.
• Vaccuum.
• Sweep.
• (Mop?).
• Dust around top of rooms (eww, you should see some of the dust. I didn't notice...)
• Junk drawers cleaned out (2 in kitchen).
• Clean off top of refridgerator.

As well as making dinner, parenting, bathtimes, perhaps a nap! Doubtful though, I wanted one of those yesterday and worked right through Luke's naptime anyways. Duh.

Wish me luck... must go do some coffee!

Oh yeah!

I forgot to mention, Miss Brenda's tooth "fell" out that night (actually, daddy pulled it out "on accident". Yeah. It WAS really loose, though). She was very happy to put the tooth under her pillow (in a little box, so the tooth fairy didn't have to search around in the dark for a teeny tooth), and in the morning she was going to buy us all breakfast with the dollar she got from that old fairy. :) Cute little monkey. She's currently trying to learn to whistle through the gap in her teeth.

What a face.

No title, too braindead...

So it's been a bit, and although I don't have anything to say, I wanted to pop in to say hi to anyone who thinks I've died or gone into labor already. We are fine, very bored, waiting to get into the new house. We went to look at it again yesterday and the woman that lives there said she will most likely be out by August 1st, if not sooner... so that's almost two whole weeks before we thought! Hooray!
This whole month has been a crazy whirlwind of doctors' appointments, must to my dismay (and my wallet's dismay, as well. Argh). Now in physical therapy, my "therapist" is some old hardass that thinks he knows all about me because he has a 22 year old kid. Yeah, well, you don't know me. Don't keep me waiting for 1/2 an hour on top of my wait in the waiting room, then act like a jerk to me because I've had too much on my mind to call my fricking insurance company to see if they'll pay for a brace that, even if they DO pay for, I can't afford the co-pay anyways. Yes, I know you want my money. However, I don't have any. And then the OB, they're very dismissive of me and anything I think is wrong. It's all very frustrating. Next week I have three(!) appointments... Wednesday (PT),Thursday (regular doctor for my hips), Friday (OB). How. Annoying. And expensive. It costs an awful lot of money for them to tell me nothing. I hope they don't charge extra when they actually find SOMETHING.
So, in the process of moving, I thought it may be a good idea to have a yard sale. Because deep down, I'm a masochist at heart. That needs planning, probably will do on the 4th of July (which is a Wednesday) or the 18th. Scary.
So, that's about it for now, I have nothing at all to say. Need to clean my house and use up the bananas getting brown on the table (most likely banana bread, and freeze the rest for smoothies). I feel like I'm going to get a lot of throwing-away done today. I'm feeling the need to purge.
Ta, blog.

Memememe....

I am bored so I stole a Meme off of Jen's blog. Let's try it.

The game is SCATTERGORIES…it’s harder than it looks! Here are the rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your Name: Ashlee

1. Famous Singer/Band: Ani Difranco

2. 4 letter word: Ammo

3. Street: Ashford Hollow Road

4. Color: Auburn

5. Gifts/Presents: Anything! (it's the thought that counts... :P)

6. Vehicle: Altima

7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Atlas

8. Boy Name: Andrew

9. Girl Name: Anne

10. Movie Title: American Beauty

11. Drink: Appletini

12. Occupation: Artist

13. Celebrity: Angelina Jolie

14. Magazine: Allure

15. U.S. City: Albany, NY

16. Pro Sports Teams: Atlanta Falcons

18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Always late for everything.

19. Something You Throw Away: Ashes

20. Things You Shout: ARGH!

21. Cartoon Character: Ariel (the little mermaid)


That was harder than I thought it'd be! (That's probably why it says that at the beginning, huh? Duh.)

Oh yeah. Brenda's tooth is ok. It's still loose, but it doesn't hurt and she's actually excited about it. Someone must've told her about the tooth fairy already.

How simple.

Right now, my daughter is reading (!) a book to her brother. He is following along loudly, yelling the words a second after she does into a paper towel tube. Then he says, "Bee-da, 'nor boook?" It is so sweet. It's actually quiet for a second, and I am considering coffee for the first time this morning. Lucien slept in my bed last night, so I didn't get much sleep as his favorite part of sleeping with mama is kicking me in the face every hour or so. I didn't have the energy last night to make him sleep in his own bed.

Today is the 6 year anniversary of my grandmother's death. I feel weird about it. I can't believe it was that long ago already, but I counted and I was 16 at the time, so it must be true. So much is different, and I wish she knew *I* am different, too. I for sure wasn't much to be proud of at 16.

It's very surreal. I'm not very good at handling things like this anymore... I'm actually not good at handling anything very well anymore, since then, probably. I've gotten a harder exterior, but my insides have been mush since 6 years ago, today. You would think time would make things easier. It hasn't, not really.

On a different (and quite a bit less depressing) note, I think we might be going to see the new Fantastic 4 movie tonight. Brenda wants to see it really bad, and Tim generally wants to see that type of movie... I'm not as excited, but I think it's cool that Brenda likes something so much that's not princesses or frills or squishy bunnies. She needs to develop her tomboyish side a little more, in my opinion... her girly side is fully developed and flourishing. Besides, how else is she going to survive in a house with two little brothers?

That being said.. I don't wanna go. I want to soak in a bubble bath, do my nails, and maybe sew/crochet a bit. Some tomboy-role model I am, huh? And along those lines... I wonder what 15 year old me would think of me now. She'd probably shake her head at me pitifully and demand I make some food. She'd try to talk me into believing that motherhood, and being a stay-at-home-mom, is a rediculous waste of time you could be free to do whatever makes you awesome. I think I'm pretty awesome, and I'd be kind of scared to know what she thinks is a good time, anymore. So. There's that.

And I must go now, as Luke has seemed to have knocked one of Brenda's front teeth loose. There's no crying or blood, but holy crap, it's way too early for her to be getting loose teeth.

Friday Morning.

I promised pictures of Brenda in the dress, so here they are...





Even a picture of the offensive back of the dress. Well... it offended me, until I saw it on her, then I stopped caring so much:

And Lucien needed to get in on the action, too, once he saw the camera. He's such a ham..

Baby doctor appointment is today at 10. Not looking forward. I've become very skeptical of the whole office.... but there's really no one else for me to go to. However, it's the first time I'm seeing *my* doctor in months, so hopefully I get some answers, or really, anything that's not, "You aren't eating enough; all women are uncomfortable when their pregnant," when I ask why I get dizzy and feel like I'm going to faint, and why I have back spasms and pain in my hips/legs that is bad enough to put me out of work. Man, I never want to see THAT woman again.

Hoping I don't have to walk up there, too. That would make the rest of the day be all laying on the couch recuperating, and I don't have time for that today.

Half-Finished Projects...

So, it's apparently that time in my "cycle" (what cycle that would be, I'm not sure, but I definitely have a crafting cycle) where I am craft-manic. I start 5,000 projects before I finish one, and end up with about 2 or 3 cool things out of the mania. Happens all the time.

I finished the baby blanket early, and that just sparked the fire. Today, I made Brenda a pretty new hippie-sundress out of an old skirt I would've never, ever fit into again (sigh.. I was THAT little? Really?), and I am jealous of it:

Eww, I know... why is the picture so blurry? I'm a little shaky (I had another fainty-feeling/dizzy/nauseated/hot/sweaty/am I gonna pass out thing earlier, I'm ok now and my mother-in-law came over until I was ok), that's probably why. Here's a close-up of the fabric I used:

Cool, huh? It was my favorite skirt, and I didn't know what I was going to do with it now that it doesn't fit me anymore. I'm glad I made a dress for Brenda, now it goes to my only girl... sniff. It only took about 2 1/2 hours (yeah, that's what I did while Luke napped, so? I know my house is filthy. I needed some crafting time), handsewn, no pattern (pshhh. Patterns are for sissies. :P). I also have a big scrap of the fabric left, I think I want to make a quilt or maybe a patchwork apron for myself with it. Hmm... Oh yeah. Also, it looks REALLY good on her, I will take pictures tomorrow as she is in bed now. It's SO cute. Love. I thought I'd care that the pattern didn't line up in the back a lot more than I do, but it looks so pretty on her that it ceased to matter. And I will just never do a dress pattern that needs straight lines to line up again. It frustrated me so.

And now, on to some unfinished projects. First, we have the plastic shopping bag recycled from plastic bags. Now, I have a legitamate excuse for not having this one done... I lost it. For like a week. However, that gave me ample time to collect more interesting bags than just plain old grocery bags (though I'm using them, too), and this is what it's looking like as of now:

Not exactly pretty, but definitely cool. Will for sure use it when it's done, for shopping. The thing about this that takes the most time is cutting the bags into thin, long strips. I will gladly hire someone to do it and pay them in dinners, if someone else wants the job. My scissors are starting to make my thumb hurt.

Next we have:

Is it... seaweed? Is it ALIVE?! No, it is a... something. Well, it WAS my tablecloth, I can tell you that much.

I cut my tablecloth into strips and started tying it into circles, and linked the circles into chains. I have a kind of.. chain-mail... thing. I started as a rag-rug for our new (YAY!) kitchen, but I then realized it wasn't quite right, after all. Then Tim said that it'd be cool as a net, over Luke's bed (kind of like the... umm.. army.. net... things? You know what I'm talking about. I'm not too into the army (as you might imagine), so I'm not sure what they're called, or even what they're for.), then *I* thought it'd be a cool net to hang on the wall for his stuffed animals, and THEN I thought, hey! that'd be an AWESOME curtain for a little boy's room! Then I said to myself.. wow, this really looks like a big hunk of seaweed. Either way, I will keep working on it, and I predict it will be going *SOMEwhere* in Lucien's bedroom.

Now, on top of all of this, I have to get crackin' on making some little things for my kids' birthdays, which are fast approaching. I haven't even thought of it, so I'd probably better get a move on. I think I might make Brenda some pretty, flowy skirts to wear to school (SCHOOL!?), maybe crochet her some pretty bandanas for her pretty head. She's easy to think of things to make for her, she's a girl. Lucien, however, is a different story. I'm thinking about making him another pair of slippers (the only pair he ever liked and would leave on his feet, alas they have up and walked right out of the building), I might get him some plain tee-shirts and embroider a little punk skull on them or something. We'll see. Maybe their only presents will be accessories to decorate their brand new bedrooms (again with the YAY!).

I am so freaking tired, I probably should take this opportunity to go sleep peacefully for an hour and a half before Tim gets home (oh yeah, Lucien went to his big-boy bed with no complaints today and is sleeping soundly. Amazed, am I). But I wanna MAKE stuff! Waah!

Also, for your enjoyment, I would like to present to you this lovely blog. This woman may be my new idol. I'm not sure if I want to BE her, or just wish she was my best friend. Either way, I have a giant girl-crush and now must read her. And to think I only stumbled accidentally onto the blog. It's just so.... pretty. It makes me have warm fuzzies.

Well, I think I will make myself a snack and go pick which craftie I want to pick up and work on until my boy is home. I miss him. A lot. A really lot.

House!!!

So much going on... so we got the cute, perfect little house! We love it and we're both so excited we could dance. We want to go kick the people who live there out so we can get in there now and start loving it. Unfortch, we can't move in until August 11th. Oh, how far away that is.... two whole months. It's OUR house, dammit! Move out already!

So excited, so excited. I feel the urge to make beautiful things for the new house... it's too bad I didn't measure windows and stuff so I could do that while we're waiting to get in. I keep thinking of all the cool things I want to do to it. Must write them all down in a notebook lest the baby eats my brain and all of the ideas I have.

Also, another excitement... Lucien is getting a new bed (for free!). My sister-in-law's sister had a garage sale and Tim's mom mentioned I might want the bed for Luke. Yay! So we don't have to make yet another purchase, and he gets to get used to a bed before the baby comes and needs the crib. I just hope the kid stays in it. I'm a little nervous.. I think I'll try and set it up for him tonight, or tomorrow, just so he can get used to it for a couple of months before we move, and he's not having to get used to a new room AND a new bed. Poor little monkey.

Yay! I am happy today. What's for dinner?

Sleep Deprivation -or- Why I Ordered In Today

Man, and seeing that woman's blog made me want to be so much better about my eating habits. However, no nap + INDESCRIBABLY stressful morning = mom ordered chicken fingers, deep fried cheddar broccoli (you know, the vegetable) and a turkey sub with tons of mayonaise for lunch-ish (it's a bit late for lunch, the kids have just been snacking all day). Oh well. Tomorrow is another day, I suppose.

Seriously though, this getting-a-house-and-being-an-adult crap sucks. I just want the house, I don't wanna deal with banks, loan officers, lawyers and real estate agents (granted, *I* am not the one actually *dealing* with them, but for right now, just having to talk to them on the phone is enough... see my phone anxiety, lower to the page. Blech.), not to mention everyone putting in their two cents about what I should/should not be doing (I realize they are trying to help, but hey... I got like 4 hours of sleep here, people!). Besides the fact that *I* do not know what I am doing, that is why Tim is in charge.. everyone needs to talk to him, and he's not here. I'm his secretary, and I feel (well, felt like this morning) as if I was just getting DUMPED on. Just piles and piles of information and talking that made NO sense to me. Constantly saying, "I really just don't know, you need to talk to my husband about this." (Which, by the way, makes you feel SO smart.) Also, the fact that it took me an HOUR to get ahold of Tim at work this morning... ok, I started freaking myself out thinking, "What if I was in labor/had a problem with the kids and it was taking me this long just to talk to him?!" and by the time I actually got ahold of him, I was crying and my heart was pounding like that was the actual scenario. I demanded a number where I could for-sure get ahold of him. I will nag accordingly about a cell phone when he gets home.
My food will be here soon, gonna go.

4:45 is way too early, Lucien!

So guess what time my son decided to get out of bed today? I am starting to dread having him AND a new baby that wakes up every two hours, too. It makes my stomach feel a little sick. I am just NOT the kind of person that can function (on any level... physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively....) on like 3-4 hours of sleep. I fear it will make me go postal. So, so, so tired... I need to go back to sleep SOON.

On a happier note, we saw THE house yesterday. The first one we looked at yesterday... we didn't even want to see the other two we were supposed to see. The backyard was so pretty, in a little valley and surrounded by trees. The house is little, but laid out nicely and just perfect. I love it. It was so clean, and so well kept and put together. Big, bright windows. Great landscaping. And it's in the country... the neighbors across the street are COWS. Tim went to go sign for the loan yesterday, but they weren't there, and then the lady from the realty place called us to tell us someone else bidded on it so we'd better hurry up and bid if we want it. I will be SO SAD if we can't have that house.... we both have been saying to each other since we saw it, "I want that house.. that's OUR house, no one else can live there..." etc. I will cry if we can't have it.

I had so much stuff I wanted to get done today. It seems like Luke picks up on that and hates me so he just loves to ruin any chance of me getting anything done at all by waking up at ungodly hours. Even if I get a nap today, it won't be the same as me being able to sleep until like 7. Damnable child, with his terrible sleeping habits. He's so lucky he's cute. Cute might not matter when there's another kid waking me up every 1-2 hours to eat, though. We also need to get him a bed soon, but we might wait until we know if we're getting the house now and get bunk beds for Brenda and Lucien. He's trying to climb out of the bed and I'm scared he's going to fall. His birthday is in 1 month exactly. I can't believe my little monster is going to be two already. I should get on planning that birthday party.... hmm...

Whoa, I almost just totally flipped because I thought my computer deleted this whole post. Luckily for my computer, I found it. Or it would've gone smash. Seriously, I felt myself turning green and growing giant muscles for a moment. Don't make me angry... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

Also, I just wanted to put this link in here, so everyone else can marvel at this woman's ability to get her son AND husband to eat like this. I am impressed. You should be too. And it all looks pretty yummy! Not that I'd consider giving up meat... although baby is VERY adverse to red meat lately. Just thinking of the smell is making me squirmy. Uck.

I so want to go to bed and watch movies for the rest of the day. And NOT deal with children. At least until dinner time.

She can cook, part 2

So I forgot where I was going with this... oh yeah. Recipes. Proof that I cook. Validation of my mothering skills. Right. :P

Ok, so breakfast burritos... super easy, and lasts all week, if you let it. Very, very yummy. I am eating the last one right now. Yes, as I type. I am multi-tasking, what?!

Breakfast Burrito Filling

About 1 lb. ground pork sausage/fake veggie sausage

1 cup of corn (white or yellow)

1 cup of black beans (if you use dried beans, cook them first)

1 cup of salsa (no chopping tomatoes, onions, peppers etc. at 8 in the morning!)

about 3 Tablespoons of taco seasoning mix (*Hanging head in shame.. yes I use mix*)

6-8 eggs, beaten with a splash of milk

Soft tortillas

Fry up the sausage however you like to. Make sure it's adequately crumbled, and drain it. Put it back into the pan, add about 1/2 cup of water and the taco seasoning. Mix it together, and cook on high until the water is pretty well reduced. Don't forget to stir it often, or else you will have meat stuck to the bottom of your pan. Not fun.

Turn down the heat to medium, medium high. Add in the corn, beans, and salsa. Cook a bit, stir a bit, etc. Move all of that mixture in the pan already to the side, or into a separate bowl.

Pour the eggs into the empty (or empty part) of the frying pan. Scramble a bit, make sure it's cooked well enough to your liking. Stir back in the meat mixture and cook some more.

That is the filling. Add shredded cheese, sour cream, refried beans, lettuce, taco sauce, hot sauce, whatever, into the tortilla and fold and enjoy.

I either put the whole bowl of filling in the fridge to fill tortillas as I want one (leave in the fridge a week, tops), or fill some tortillas with with the filling and toppings (I don't do lettuce), wrap them up in foil and throw them in the freezer. Preheat an oven 400 degrees, and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or you can freeze them in plastic wrap and cook in the microwave for hmm... 3-5 minutes, I'd say, on high.

Pizza Salad

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cream cheese

1-2 cloves of garlic, diced fine

1 tsp. onion flakes (I'm not sure if that's what they're called, that's what I call them)

1 tsp. parsley

Any other herbs you like... dill, chives, basil etc.

Assorted veggies, diced or shredded

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pizza crust (cooked)

Process sour cream and cream cheese in a food processor or blender (a hand mixer would work, too). Add in the garlic, onion flakes and herbage. Blend until well combined. Spread on a cooled pizza crust. Top with the veggies and cheddar cheese. Chill for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight, to let the flavors blend.

That's it! Cut into pizza slices (or small squares for a party) and serve.

More recipes to come. I'm sure you're all waiting anxiously. :)

So... irritated... must... not... smash....

OH MY GOD I HATE REPAIR MEN!!! Ahem. Ok.

So like A MONTH ago our television broke. We called a repair place to pick it up. They said, cool, in a few days we can do that. Fine. On the Wednesday they were supposed to pick it up (between 1 and 4, annoying, but reasonable), I waited... and waited... and no one showed. At 5, I called the place, and they said they might be another hour. An hour rolls by, *I* call *them* back, and they say they can't do it that day anymore. I have wasted a whole day waiting for them. They say they will come get it the very next day, between 1 and 2, for sure. For. Sure.

It's about five minutes to 2 the next day. They call, and say they'll be another hour. I flip a little, saying I have now sat and waited for them for TWO days, and they haven't come or even *called* me until two minutes before they're supposed to come the SECOND day I've waited?! They come and get the TV an hour later.

I call a week from THEN. Well... we don't know when it'll be done. Umm... we need you to bring the remote, can you do that? Uhh well, NO I can't seeing as how the reason we needed you to come get the f*ing thing in the first place is because *I* don't have a car and my husband is always working, and neither of us ever go to Arcade (well not NEVER, but come on. They should've taken the stupid remote when they took the stupid TV). Also, if it was something you needed the REMOTE to fix, why would I send it to you so I can pay you $350 dollars to fix it? They then decide a few days later that they don't need it, after all. Grrrrrrrrr.....

Last Friday. They call and say, well, we'll be dropping the TV off on Monday. Ok, good. Monday? No show, no call. Tuesday? Still no call, not expecting a show. Wednesday, Tim calls THEM, flips a lot, gets the person on the other line to agree that we do not pay the pick up or delivery fee since they wasted one, two, three, FOUR days of my life waiting for them to just come fricking get it and drop it off. Cool. Sounds good. But we still owe them like $300. Sucks.

They just came here. 2 hours after they were supposed to be here (I had totally forgotten they were coming, anyways). The guy says to me, "$380.16." Um, HELL no. I explain to him that since we (I) wasted our (my) time waiting for them for four days, we were not supposed to be paying the delivery charges, per one of his staff members. He calls his boss with much "I *GUESS*"ing and huffing and rolling eyes, from my phone, in front of me. He says to me, Well, it's not OUR fault your husband talked to someone that wasn't the boss. WELL, maybe not your *FAULT*, but certainly not OURS, either, and definitely not our PROBLEM. He should've damn well said so and given the phone to the manager, then. I wrote a check for the cost of repair and said my husband will call you or come with the rest once he talks to someone that knows what the hell their doing.

No one go to Phil's TV and Repair in Arcade, NY. Awful. Just. Plain. Awful. I want to break things.

Must. Breathe.

I have become domestic.

I am bored. Time for another quiz-like thing.

aprons - y/n? Yes.. I mean, I don't have one, but I haven't found one I love yet. I used to have one with ladybugs on it, and it was awesome. I don't remember what happened to it.

baking - y/n? I *like* to, but I'm not very good at it. Too much math.

clothesline - y/n? I keep meaning to, but we rent anyways, so I'll probably wait until we have a house with a backyard.

donuts - ever made them? Yeah, but I kinda cheated. They were very yummy, anyways.

everyday.. what chore do you do every day? - Umm, if I'm being good, dishes and laundry. If not.. well... feeding my children counts, doesn't it?

freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer? I would like to when we have a house of our own.

garbage disposal - y/n No. I don't really see the point, either.

handbook - y/n?? - There's a handbook? Why didn't I get a copy?

ironing - love it or hate it? I don't really *hate* it, but I'm not very good at it. I'll put stuff in the dryer to get the wrinkles out... if something needs ironing for real, Tim does it. He's good at it.

junk drawer - where is it? Every drawer in my house has junk in it. (But seriously... I have two in the kitchen.)

kitchen style? - It's not too bad, but not what I'd pick. Green everything.

love - what is your favorite part of homemaking? I love cooking, and I really really like when I have enough ambition that my whole house is ultra-clean. However, it only lasts about 10 minutes.

mop - y/n? Yeah, when it gets icky enough. Mopping hurts, so I try not to do it unless I absolutely must. I spot clean the floor with a rag a couple times a week.

nylons - wash them by hand or in the washer? What are nylons? (just kidding... kind of.) I guess if I have to wear them and they're actually not totally ruined the first time I wear them, I throw them in the washer then air dry them.

oven - do you use the window or open it to check? It depends on what I'm cooking. If it's something delicate or I'm baking, I peek through the window. If it's like, a frozen pizza or something, I'll open it.

pizza - what do you put on yours? I'll pretty much eat anything on pizza. My favorite is... hmm.. I don't know! Black olives and banana peppers... but that will change tomorrow. I love all pizza. Even not very good pizza is yummy. I especially like pizza with sauce inside of the crust, instead of cheese.

quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Shower. Or sleep.

recipe card box? I have a box in my kitchen with a bunch of recipe books and loose papers with recipes on them in it.

style of house you have/want? Mine. No neighbors upstairs, downstairs or too close next door.

tablecloths and napkins - y/n? I have a tablecloth, but it needs replacing. I don't even have cloth napkins, but I'd like some. When I have room for such things.

under the kitchen sink- Recycling.

vacuum - how many times a week? 2 to 4. Depends on what my kids spilled on the floor.

wash - how many loads do you do a week? One or two about every other day.

x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? Yeah, but I never seem to finish the list, just add to it.

yard - who does what? We don't really do much for our yard, because it's not ours. My husband mows cuz he likes to. When we have a house, I will do the gardening.

zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day? It's different every night. I try to pick up toys/clothes/whatnot off of the living room and kitchen floors every night before the kids' bedtime, though, but that's just so I don't trip on it and kill myself trying to go pee at 3 AM. :P

Ok then.

Today is...

...our two-month anniversary. I just realized. I made a point of thinking to myself yesterday, "Tomorrow is our two month anniversary, don't forget!" and then forgot to say something before Tim went to work. Sigh. I'm not sure it matters that much, he probably forgot too. But it seems like something that should be important.

We apparently grossly qualify for the WIC program, so today I got checks for cheese, juice, milk, eggs, peanut butter and dried beans. Oh, and cereal. I was excited, though, about getting checks to use at the farmer's market, because we were going to go today. I got them, but I'm not allowed to use them until July 1st. That is crap. Oh well. No free fruits and veggies for us this month. I'll have to just use money like a normal person.

Not much to say today. I am bored, and tired, because Lucien woke me up at 5:45 in the morning. And at 1:00 in the morning. And didn't go to sleep until like 10 at night. Poopyhead.

Oh yeah.... so I have an either brilliant or incredibly stupid idea, I can't tell yet. I started cutting all of my plastic bags I'd otherwise recycle anyways (bread bags, shopping bags, packages diapers come in etc.) into strips, and have been crocheting them. I want to make it into a reuseable shopping bag, but just now I thought that it'd be a kind of cool doormat, too. It's washable, and it's super-sturdy once crocheted together. The plastic is a bit harder to work with than yarn or string or hemp, so it's taking a bit longer than I thought it would, but it's still an interesting project. I was considering whether one of the fancy/handmade/hippie/health food stores downtown would be interested in them, if they're relatively easy to make. Yes, I am trying to find ways to exploit my talents. What can I say, I'm sick of being poor. I was poor for way too long when I was young, and although I am an expert at it, I don't really like it. I probably won't sell stuff anyways... I always say I'm going to then end up not doing it. I have about negative 20 ambition. Whatever that means.

Tagged again...

Ok, I will do the 7 random things again because I've been tagged again... however, I don't know anyone that has a blog and hasn't already done it, so no one is getting tagged by me. Sad, I know.

Let's see. I'm actually the awfully boring type (I know, SHOCKING, isn't it?).

1.) I used to have a mohawk. And a shaved head. My hair's been red, orange, yellow (no, not blond.. but it's been that, too), blue, purple, and pink. But never, ever green. Also, black, blue-black, dark brown, light brown, auburn, dark blond and bleach blond. Right now, it's my natural color... complete with greys. I am getting old.

2.) I like to take showers so hot that your skin turns pink and you shiver like you're cold. But it's been too warm for that lately.

3.) I don't remember the last time my bedroom was spotlessly clean. For real. I hate our room... I need to seriously purge, because we do actually have some really nice furniture in there.

4.) I am embarrassed to admit when I have nice (or, expensive) things. It's weird.

5.) I also have major phone anxiety. Just having to talk to like, the pizza guy, or sometimes even friends, or family. It's really weird. Makes me freak out a little (or a lot, depending on who it is). But I'm working on it.

6.) I crochet. But I wouldn't be able to figure out how to knit if my life depended on it, and I have tried so hard to learn to read patterns for crochet and have discovered that I am pattern-retarded. So I don't even try to do patterns anymore. But I have made some pretty cool stuff on my own.

7.) I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener. That is what I'd truly like to be. 'Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener, everyone would be in love with me.

(Sorry, I couldn't think of anything for the last one. :) )

There you go missy. I don't have anyone to tag, so I guess I'm *It*. Whoo-hoo!

Blankie!

I finished up the baby's blanket... hopefully he doesn't take a cue from Luke and come out just cuz his blankey is done. Lucien was three weeks early and he decided to show about two hours after I finished his blanket.


The kids seem to enjoy it... (oh yeah, I cut Brenda's hair. But I *did* give her several warnings that if she didn't stop chewing on it, I was going to cut it. Oh well. It grows back, and it still looks cute.)

Lucien's enjoying it more than I hoped he would. I hope he doesn't think it's his... Sigh.

Corner and edging detail. (It isn't all ripply like that, it really does have straight sides!)

She can cook, too...

This weekend was a good cooking weekend for me. I have a few recipes I tried that were awesome, so I will share.

The first is a muffin recipe that is so yummy and easy. I think I'll be making them today once I get my bum off of the computer. It's even easier because I made up some bags of the dry mixture in the muffins, so I just have to mix them with the eggs, milk and fruit.

Oatmeal Muffins
(Oven 375 degrees)

-1 3/4 cups all purpose baking mix (Bisquick or Jiffy)
-1/2 cup quick cooking oats (hint: the packets of oatmeal are exactly 1/2 cup, I used a few flavored ones in the mixes I made.)
-1/2 cup sugar plus enough to sprinkle over tops of muffins
-1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
-3/4 cup of milk
-1 large egg, beaten
-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or 1 Tbsp. oil + 1 Tbsp applesauce)
-1 cup of fruit (blueberries, mashed banana, chopped strawberries, diced peaches etc.)

Line 12 muffin cups with liners, or spray with cooking oil. Combine baking mix, oats, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk, egg and vegetable oil.

Stir wet mixture into dry mixture just to combine. Add fruit and stir. Fill muffin cups about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way with batter. Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake in the oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.



Ok, so now my kids are demanding food. More recipes later.

It's (Peanut Butter) Jelly Time!!!

At the request of a reader (I have a readers! :D) I am posting my juice jelly and tea jelly recipes. Enjoy, lady!

Juice Jelly
(5 half pints)
4 cups of 100% juice of any kind, must be unsweetened
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 package of regular powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups of sugar

Pour the fruit juice and lemon juice into a big, heavy pot (soup pot?). Sprinkle with pectin, let stand for a couple of minutes. Stir to dissolve. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in sugar and return to full rolling boil, stirring often. Boil hard 1 minute with constant stirring action. Remove from heat, quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in boiling-water canner for 5 minutes. Remove from water and cool on racks until set.



Tea Jelly
(4 half pints)
2 1/2 cups water
6 tea bags whatever flavor you like
1 cup unsweetened WHITE grape juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package regular powdered fruit pectin
3 cups sugar

Combine water and tea bags in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and measure 2 cups of tea. Place tea in a big soup pot, add the grape juice and lemon juice. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam, ladle immediately into jars, with 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim and threads with a clean damp cloth and adjust lids. Screw band down evenly and firmly until resistance is met and you can fit a fingertip between the jar and the band.

Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Mmm. Home made jelly.

It is beautiful outside. And by beautiful, I mean it looks like it's about to start thunderstorming. I know, not most people's idea of good weather, but I love it. (Did I ever mention I am a weirdo?) It puts me in the mood to cook. Maybe I'll even actually can some stuff today.

I got up early, washed Luke's blankets (again... I'm going to start duct-taping diapers onto him, I swear. Tim doesn't want me to), worked on the baby's blanket (pictured along with my ugly couch, not quite done yet but hey, I started three days ago) and now I'm drinking my coffee and thinking about what I want to make in the way of nourishment today. So many possibilities. I have some strawberries that need using up, I think I might make some strawberry muffins for starters. Sounds good for breakfast (no, I haven't done breakfast yet, really, but they had some jello with fruit, and a banana split between them. I am not an at-the-table breakfast person unless my husband is home.

I can't wait until we go see that house tomorrow. It isn't as chronically cute as the last one we saw, but it has a TON of character and I think it'll be fun fixing it up (it really doesn't seem to need a LOT of work, just... I don't know. The current owners aren't exactly interior decorators, at least that's what the pictures of the house tell me. Wallpaper borders of hunting scenes, eww.), and there's a whole lot of yard. We could put a fence up around some of the yard so the kids can play safely, behind that I can put in a garden, and then who knows what else. I always thought I'd be good at landscape design. We'll see, I guess.. I probably shouldn't get my hopes up about the house, anyways. I think I'm just so set on the idea of moving that I'd move into a cardboard box to get the hell away from our neighbors (it'd have to be a big box, though, what with two kids and one on the way....).

So, I have high hopes for my canning skills this year, but I think that what with the baby coming in October (actually probably September since my babies like to be early) that it would be nice to have some stuff put up for the fall/winter months. This is what I would like to get done this summer:

• Salsa (Mild, Chipoltle Lime which is hotter, and maybe fruit salsa but probably not)
• Spaghetti sauce (I don't have high hopes for this, though, because it tends to get eaten as soon as I make it)
• Jelly (I make a wicked juice jelly, which takes like two seconds and is so yummy. I am looking at white grape/raspberry, peach tea, apple, and orange jelly for flavors. I know my mom wants some cherry-berry tea jelly, too, so I'll probably get some of that done too)
• Apples (I'd like to do apples in syrup, cinnamon applesauce, and apple pie filling)
• Tomatoes (Diced, I use a lot of diced tomatoes... but tomatoes sound like a lot of work)
• Pickles (garlic dill spears, maybe some chips too, but not sure)
• Pumpkin butter (my favorite thing I ever canned)

Sounds ambitious, doesn't it? I'm sure only about half of it will get done, but I want to do it all. I love canning, as long as my kids let me just do it and don't sit and whine and try to climb me while I'm doing it. Or, you know, rub poop into my carpet while I'm doing dishes (which actually happened yesterday. NOT cool. They both got in trouble for that one, as Brenda just sat and watched him do it. Butts).

Going to get some stuff done, now. I can't wait until it starts raining (don't get me wrong, I love the sun... just not as much. Like I said, weird.)

I painted this on Sunday. I can't tell if I like it or not. In case the computer messed the color up that bad, the background is chocolate brown, and the lotus flower is teal-blue-greenish. I *think* I like it. I think it matches our bedroom. However, it is a weird mixture of 70's-abstract-oriental-stained glass that I'm not sure about. And I don't think Tim likes it, but he wouldn't say so cuz he thinks he'll hurt my feelings.

I miss my honey. I want him to come home right now. I hate his stupid, stupid work. Pout, pout, stomp, whine.

Good night.