Back To The Daily Grind

Another weekend has come and gone. Yet here I sit contemplating how fast two days can go instead of being excited about the upcoming work week. I should be thankful I have a job but instead I have decided to covet people who teach for a living as they are settling in to enjoy a 9 week sabbatical in the sun and by the pool. I am very jealous...not really but kind of!
Anyway, we took the family to the pool on Saturday and I decided to take the half and half approach. What I mean by that is, the right side of my body is burnt and the left side of my body is pink. How did this happen you ask? Well, when you reach that conclusion please share it with the group. I have decided I need a sunscreen application in-service because I have missed the boat. My lobster skin says so. One thing is for sure, I have full comprehension of how to apply said sunscreen product to my children as they did not get burnt at our 3 hour pool excursion. Better me than them. Oh the sacrifices of being a parent...I took one for the team! Ha ha
In my well done state, being in the sun today would be futile, pointless, and quite frankly...STUPID! So I decided to take Michael and one of his friends to the movies. We screened Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian. HILARIOUS! Please, Please, Please go see this. No weird language and only two little kissy scenes where Michael closed his eyes and said "Tell me when it is over".
Well that is the exciting wrap up to my weekend. I live such a fast paced life! ;)
To wrap up this entry...here is a picture of the boys visiting on Sunday around 6pm. Mike made grilled chicken, corn on the cob, spinach salad and sauteed portabello mushrooms. I am so glad someone in this house can cook. My boys are the ones on the end.

Friday Fill Ins

1. It's cold and rainy. I am lost at the corner of 1st and 1st....the nexus of the universe.

2. I don't really like tomatoes but I force myself to eat them because they are good for me.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is self-tanners, of course!

4. With a good book and my music, I can kick back and enjoy a nice long ride.

5. Well, first of all we have to stop making it so easy to live off the government and not have to work.

6. My co-workers; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was a comedy of errors.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to typing in my Friday Fill-Ins, tomorrow my plans include swimming and Sunday, I want to I have not the faintest clue.

God's Gifts

It makes me so angry that I cannot accept God's gifts. To understand that everything about me physically and mentally (which I question more and more) was created on purpose. I am leading up to the fact of how much I hate my freckles. During the winter I have virtually none on my face. BUT, as soon as the summer comes along.....KABOOM...and not like the commercial. I don't care what kind of sunscreen it is blocking whatever band of ultraviolet rays or if the SPF is so high I could build a vacation home on the Sun and be comfortable as long as it was properly applied. Out come the freckles. I have heard it all::::you looked sun kissed::::they make you look young:::they are so cute. PLEASE, you have them for a while and we shall see what you think.
I would love to accept the fact (and be happy about it) that is how God made me soooo to complain about it would be insulting Him. Being a human sinner is so hard!!

Ward Off Mosquitoes AND Have Fresh Breath

I don't have anything incredibly important to write about (like I ever do) so I decided to share a little secret with all of you. As most of you know from my previous posts or if you know me well, I tend to be a little 'Green' in regards to my environment. Do not mistake this for being a germaphobe. I am far from it. We have ZERO anti-microbial bull crap in the house NOR do I constantly berate my children to wash their hands after the smallest sneeze, cough, hiccup or the like. GROSS most of you would say however, I would like to present Exhibit One (which happens to be my only exhibit just with three sub entities). I would like to present to the jury the following facts....1. I have called in sick ONCE in my entire work history due to an illness (Since I was 16),
2. Mike has never called in sick in his work history, 3. Michael has only missed on average of 2 days per year of school due to sickness, 4. Not counting the 16 ear infections Marshall had during the first year and a half of his life, he has the occasional insidious onset of fever but normally...he is good to go.
OK, I HAVE TOTALLY DIGRESSED BUT FOR SOME REASON I ALWAYS FEEL I HAVE TO DEFEND MY NON-ANTIMICROBIAL MISSION!!!! SO THERE!
Back to the subject(s) at hand.....mosquito repellent and fresh breath.....talk about a great marketing campaign. The best and safest mosquito repellent is......................................drum roll please...................................and only people who actually know how to drum and not just trill their tongues......................................................LISTERINE. Yes, Yes, Yes....for all you folks who doll out 6-7 dollars a bottle on insect repellent that smells weird and God (not said in vain) only knows what in the world DEET does to us......I feel cancerous growths already.
That said, buy or preferably reuse a pump spray bottle by filling it up with Listerine. Not any of those fancy, smanshy kinds....just the good ole, what we grew up with kind. Fill up the bottle, spray the periphery of the patio, deck, or whatever..I have been know to spray the swingset and a sacred circle around it to act as a buffer......it works. Spray the kids, spray you, spray it in your mouth and the mouth of your spouse and give each other a big KISS! Let me know what you think!
P.S. Could I have used an ellipses any more in this blog........I think not! (Yes, I know an ellipses is technically on three dots but I tend to overuse .)

Whatcha Drawin'

Just a quick entry about the hilarious thing Marshall asked me Saturday morning. Let me set up the scene.....I am putting up clothes and I notice Marshall is being peculiarly quiet. As any parent knows...quiet=problems. (Unless they are sleeping) This especially applies to my Little Guy. I start sneaking around upstairs trying to find him and discover him in the playroom drawing on the wall. I did not get on to him for this, after all, he was at the correct spot on the wall (where the chalkboard paint was placed) just using the incorrect marking implement.
I sat in the floor, picked up a piece of chalk and asked him if he wanted me to draw him. On another side note.....I am the worst artist in the World....the Good Lord definitely ran out on this given talent the month I was born. OK, back to the story. I proceeded to draw a very crude drawing of a head, nose, mouth, ears and curly blond (yellow) hair. He was enthralled only because he does not know any better. Soon he will be thinking "My Mom could not draw a stick house with the curly smoke coming out of the chimney if it hair-lipped the Pope." I then started to draw the torso and then the arms. After I finished the left arm but before I drew the right..Marshall asked, "Is that my penis, Mommy?" Me: "No, it is your arm!"
I drew the rest of it and he asked "Are you going to draw my penis?" Me: "No, you have clothes on. Your penis is not showing when you have clothes on." Wow, they do get fascinated with that early and it never stops. I don't see how they walk around with those things!!! Ha ha. Here is a picture of my "alleged" chalk board porn!

Weekend Update With Yours Truly

I hate my posts that involve a hodge podge of information without order or clarity. BUT, here I go anyway.......
Friday came and went without a lot of fanfare. Just me shopping for a dress. What is it about having an ass load of clothes in your closet but when a special event comes along.....nothing is good enough. Well, I did find an awesome dress and included it in a picture at the end of this entry. Later that evening, I had a hankering to rearrange our bedroom. I don't know why I get in the mood to do things like that but it had to be done. It took us about 45 minutes to complete and it looks great. Since our bed and dresser is sooo heavy, we have to partially dismantle it in order to move it. That is why it took so long. I have decided the new furniture arrangement is compliant with some sort of Feng Shui thing. I came to this conclusion after a slept ALL NIGHT with my bed and accessories being in their new position. I never sleep all night, usually I wake up every hour on average. Well, I guess the bed facing the west instead of the south is the 'Ancient Chinese Secret.' God I hope so. It gets a little old not having a good night of sleep. Not to mention the crankiness my family has to endure and has no qualms giving right back to me!

Saturday went too fast as usual. The weather turned out to be sunnier than previously predicted which made me happy. I love it when the weather peeps get it wrong in that respect. We ended yesterday with a beautiful wedding. Erica and Chris have been friends of ours for about 2 years and the wedding was wonderful. Everyone looked so beautiful.....the ceremony was short but touching....the food was awesome...and the open bar was not too shabby either!! The festivities took place at the Del Monico winery in Baxter, Tennessee. That is a small town in Putnam County due west about 5 miles from Cookeville. During the dinner I was trying to play cupid between the young lady across the table from me (no, I did not just meet her) and a guy I work with via text messaging. I think they would make a great couple. We shall see what comes of it. Her is a picture of her and myself. It was taken with my cell phone so I could send it to the guy I wanted to set her up with. I had to get in the picture too because I felt it would be a little suspicious to take it of her by herself. So here we are......OH......look how cute my dress is! I just love it. I want to wear it everyday!!!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Moving forward is the only way to travel.

2. Men and women selflessly giving of themselves is the reason I am free.

3. My best quality is I can make people laugh either with me or at me....as long as they are laughing.

4. I am a stickler for details most of the time.

5. In nearly 10 years, I will have a child in college!

6. A winning lottery ticket is what I need right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going swimming, tomorrow my plans include attending a wedding at the Del Monico Winery and Sunday, I want to spend time with my family poolside.

37 Going On 16

What is it about washing and detailing a car? I feel as if I am channeling the 16 year old version of myself. You all know what I mean...... washing the 'vehicle' with TLC, Armour All'ing every aspect of the vehicle that remotely resembles the color black. This includes any rubber or faux rubber moldings that are in any association with said vehicle. Windex (or in my case Invisible Glass) on all the windows....inside and out. What is it about having an immaculate ride? Here it is 9:30 at night and I have an inkling to cruise the "strip" (not quite for sure where that is here) and show off my squeaky clean, run you noisy finger down the paint, dare you to find a dirty spot.... Tahoe!!!
I arrived home today a little after five with an itch to perform all the previously said things (minus the cruising). Two hours later, I had a kick ass white Tahoe with a dead battery!! Sorry, I love my music and it is a very integral part of me. In the midst of my vehicular cleaning frenzy...I inadvertantly ran the battery down in said clean Tahoe listening to my Ipod.............WHOOPS!!! I guess worse things have happened. OH, did I mention how Happy Mike was to 'jump off' said Tahoe??? He was thrilled. Afterwards he stated...."Boy, I wish I could jump of vehicles all day and every day!!" Not really!

An Extremely Lame Post

Just because I have been too lazy to upload the pictures from the bachelorette party I went to Saturday.....I will talk about the 2nd cake I have ever baked in my entire life. The first cake I ever baked was a German Chocolate cake in 1991. It was a birthday cake for Mike. Needless to say, I should have asked him if he liked coconut before I made it. Whoops!!!
Let me start with the fact that I don't bake. My baking culinary expertise stops at muffins (premix out of a bag) or cupcakes. Thinking back, I believe I have only made cupcakes once. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook or grill but I just do not bake. Maybe it is some sort of subconscious thing. You see, I have no will power when it comes to sweets (or most food for that matter). They are yummy. So if they are not around, they cannot be consumed.
So back to my cake.....it was a strawberry cake with strawberry icing. I put in more fresh strawberries than the recipe called for. I love strawberries and, like garlic, I do not think you can have too much in a recipe. Wow, look at me! My second cake in my entire life and I am already branching out and changing recipes. I must have a gift!! Did I mention I had to buy a sheet cake pan! I did not own any type of bake ware....oh, except a muffin pan...hence baking expertise mentioned above. Therefore, I went all out. My cake pan has a lid that locks on with a sliding mechanism on the sides and little integrated handles. Just wait until I bring that bad boy in to the next church potluck or family reunion. Everyone would know I am a baker to me reckoned with..........hee hee.

Friday Fill Ins

Another work week has come to an end and here I sit first thing in the morning doing Fill Ins. Although my Fill Ins are not thought provoking by any stretch of the imagination, I have started to look forward to them. I guess that is a little strange. Nonetheless, here we go:

1. If we had no winter kids would have no idea how fun a 'snow day' is.

2. The circle of life, a perpetual astonishment.

3. If I had my life to live over I would change a few things, but not many.

4. How do I get everything done inside of four and twenty hours?

5. If you've never been thrilled go find something that may thrill you. You are missing out on an exhilarating sensation.

6. To be interested in the changing seasons is to appreciate the astonishment of our Creator.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to baking my second cake ever in the history of my life, tomorrow my plans include seeing my mom and a possible soccer game and Sunday, I want to I have not the faintest idea!

Mother's Day.....Part Deux

Sorry about the late Mother's Day post. I do realize it has lost it's edge by now but I am writing about it anyway. My day started bright and early at 5:30 in the a.m. Once again, Marshall had decided to start his day at the ass crack of dawn. There is nothing like starting your day with a stout almost 3 year old kicking the hell out of your back, legs, butt, stomach, or whichever body part of mine is the closest to his rock hard calcanei! (Insert music symbol) Happy Mother's Day to me! (Insert music symbol) Played by the smallest violin in the World.
Luckily, Mike came to my rescue and whisked Marshall away for breakfast. I appreciated the effort but was already too awake to go back to sleep. The rest of my day was uneventful, in a good way. My Mother's Day present was peace, quiet and having the ability to do whatever I wanted unfettered by children. Don't get me wrong, I played with the kids and spent time with them but I also sat out in the sun for 3 hours reading a book. That was really one of the best presents I can receive. Plus, it's free!!!!!
I opened my Mother's Day cards which were hilarious. The one from the kids was an audio card with Hoops and Yoyo. Mike said he picked that one because it best illustrates me. EXTREMELY HYPER! The one from him had a rather large chicken on the front and played 'The Chicken Dance' when I opened it. I love that song AND I have no problem performing said dance in public. Much to my 8 year old's dismay!
We finished the day with a 20 minute bike ride and Mike cooked dinner for me and his mom. It was yummy I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. It is truly the hardest job one could ever do.
p.s. If you feel you may have had a bad Mother's Day. Check out my friend Danielle's blog (Don't Touch the Cactus) and see how she started her day. I promise you, she will trump most anything which may have happened on your day!!!

Happy Mother's Day........Day One

Although a day early, the Mother's Day celebration for my mom was today. Since we live in Cookeville, she lives in Hermitage and her mom lives in Columbia (not the country).....she would be construed as the epicenter of the universe of the moms in our family. Since she would want to spend time with her mom on Mother's Day, we hatched a lunch/shopping trip for us for today. Needless to say this weighed heavier on the shopping trip than lunch.
We started our expedition at O'Charleys in Lebanon, TN around 12ish. Too many rolls and a cup of loaded bake potato soup later.......well......I was contemplating what would have to be done to burn off said 50,000 calories! Since I had lifted weights in the a.m. today for biceps/triceps/abs I chalked it up to time spent and chowed down!!!!
We hit the outlet mall in Lebanon around one in the afternoon. Gap, Ralph Lauren, Bass, Carter's, Children's Place, Easy Spirit, Gymboree, Coach, Nike Outlet and last but not least....Tommy Hilfiger. Please pay attention to the latter toward the end of the story.
My, oh my do I love shopping. Let me clarify....I love to shop and I work damn hard to afford to do it therefore.....no regrets.
Multiple outfits and a pair of shoes later (this included several outfits for the kids which they do not need) I was complete! Now, let us reflect back to the Hilfiger thing. As most of my closest friends know, I HATE TOMMY HILFIGER! I really cannot expand as to why but my reasons are valid to me and that is all that matters. That being said....they had the cutest short/shirt set in said store today and I fell in love. I bought it.....but.....in my defense.....the shorts do not have any type of demarcation as to what brand they are.......and ....the shirt has a teeny tiny Hilfiger emblem on the bottom left of it. I am telling you, one must look to see. Therefore, I purchased!
Multiple outfits for the kids, 2 pairs of pants for me, the Hilfiger short/shirt (must say looks damn good on me), and the official 40th pair of shoes in my closet which I love,dearly. I am complete!!

Friday Fill Ins

Another rainy day in the thriving metropolis of Cookeville. I started my morning bright and cheery at 4:00 a.m. This is when the weather radio belted out it's best alarm stating there was a Thunderstorm Watch. Counting in my head 5...4...3...2...1... Like magic...Michael jumps in the bed. I tell you, that kid's response to the weather radio is Pavlov's theory at its finest. I calmed him down and went back to sleep. At 5:30, the 'time to get up' alarm went off and here comes Marshall. So, here I sit (well I was lying down) at 5:30 in the morning with my children and a lovely thunderstorm. I love starting my day with chaos....although it was controlled.

1. Apples are to oranges as I am not going to fill in this one. I am now having GRE Post Traumatic Stress Disorder!!!

2. There are only two guarantees in life. Death and Taxes and that's all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear thunder! Surely not with the drought we are having in Middle Tennessee (heavy sarcasm)

4. It is a shame the respect that has been lost for the American flag.

5. Do what you want to do, but keep me out of it.

6. Timmy was riding his tricycle and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in the wagon was a bucket filled with earthworms and grubs.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having no plans, tomorrow my plans include having lunch with my mom and Sunday, I want to have no plans!!

I Am Getting Soft And I Am Mad About It

One of my closest friends says...."You have to get mad to do it!" I am speaking of me getting soft. Not mentally or emotionally but physically. For the past few months I have been less than dedicated to exercise. This is totally opposite of how I used to be. Before I was pregnant with Marshall, I worked out every day at lunch. I was 16% body fat and that was the sole reason as to why it took me so long to get pregnant with said child. This was late 2005 and I have just not been able to get into the "regular" groove again. It would be described as "hit and miss" with more miss than hit!
Now, I am not saying I am fat or overweight...far from it. I am in the lower end of my 'accepted' weight for my height and I am a consistent size 6. But, as I tell my patients.....just because the scale measures health, doesn't mean health. The fact is I am soft and bathing suit season is...what...2 and a half weeks away? I look like hell on wheels and the spray tan is only half way helping! I equate my journey to someone trying to quit smoking. They usually fail several times before they succeed. Well, this is like my THIRD time to blog about seriously trying to get in shape. As they say, third time is a charm so I am truly going for it. I am not going to blog daily or even weekly for that matter about my work out regimen. This is more of a personal battle that must be won. I am DAMN mad about it therefore I know I will succeed. Well, that and I have downloaded some awesome music on my iPod. Either way...motivation is motivation...I just hope I don't go deaf during the process.

Showing Off The Flower Garden

I was wanting to wait and show off all the hard work from earlier this Spring. I was waiting for my Crepe Myrtles to bloom but I have grown impatient. I figured if I continued to wait until then, my weigelas would be finished with their blooming season and no one would be able to appreciate how cool they are. So here are the pics from the back of the house flower bed. They are in semi-order starting at the west (garage side) of the house and ending at the east (basement side) of the house. I know the total effect will be lost in the pictures but here we go anyway. I hope you all enjoy them.

Marshall and I Switched Shirts

I know this is a strange heading to a blog post but this was the phrase uttered by my eldest yesterday. Hearing your child say "Hey look, Marshall and I switched shirts", is not necessarily weird in its own right. That is if your children are spaced apart the usual 2-3 years. But when your boys are 6.2 years apart, it is a little strange. Marshall thought this was hilarious and Michael looked like.....well......it was a little disconcerting to say the least! I added a picture for your viewing pleasure.
Other than that (pretty sad that it was the most exciting thing that has happened lately) nothing new. Other than contemplating an ark building project, not a whole lot going on. I was able to clean up my iPod yesterday which gave me quite a feeling of accomplishment. It has become an hourly task to talk myself out of buying an iPod touch. Especially when my works just fine except the battery doesn't hold much of a charge. What better excuse could there be to get a new one? Plus, it has wifi which is sweet. So, tending to my old makes me want to keep it....you know...all the hard work that is in it and all!! Alright, I am going to stop rambling about stupid crap and include 3 cute pics of my boys. Oh, I have not forgotten about my post from Dale Hollow. It has kind of lost its kick since it was a week ago but I may need it as filler since my life has all of the
sudden gotten boring!

Spanakopita: Greek Spinach Pie

I decided to expand my horizons a bit and launch my maiden voyage with phyllo dough. I have always liked most things made with it...mostly Baklava. Who wouldn't like it.....well...I guess the people with nut allergies may not. Anywho......it is my favorite dessert.......digressing.

Today I decided to cook something Greek in nature......the above title says it all.....please feel free to try this recipe...it may look complicated but it is not. One suggestion, instead of a "pastry brush", a 1/4" paint brush (never used) works just as well.....Oh, to bypass any copyright bylaws....this is not my personal recipe....I think the kudos go to a young lady named Denise Shoukas. I wonder what derivative that name is from..........not really. (Greek for all the slow people reading this).

Ingredients

• 1 stick plus 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3, 10 ox. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 lb cottage cheese
• 12 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 5 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
• 1, 1 lb. box phyllo dough
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Prep time 30 min

Cook time approx. 45-55 min

In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out the skillet. Place spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess water. Add the spinach, cottage cheese, feta, eggs, salt and pepper to the onion* and stir to combine. Set aside. In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 1 stick butter. Using a pastry brush, coat a 9-by-12 inch baking dish with melted butter. Unfold the phyllo dough and line the baking dish with 1 phyllo sheet, gently pressing into place and letting any excess hang over the sides. Brush the sheet with more melted butter. Repeat until there are 8 layers of buttered phyllo in the dish. Cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out. Fill the phyllo-lined baking dish with the reserved spinach mixture. Fold in the overhanging phyllo, sheet by sheet, brushing butter on each sheet. Place another phyllo sheet over the filling and brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and butter, brushing the top layer generously with butter. Using a sharp knife, trim the overhanging phyllo sheets to fit the baking dish. Score the top to mark eight servings. Bake the spanakopita until golden-brown, about 45-55 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Friday Fill-Ins

We took a long trek to Nashville last night. Our old friends Danielle and Leonard were in town. There were about 12 people at their homecoming. Yes, this is the same Danielle who writes the blog 'Don't Touch the Cactus', the one I said I was going to copy everything she writes, the one who gave me my "Friends Award", and the only person who can give and get the best sarcasm ever. It was nice seeing them again but the 75 minute drive one-way sucked! Just one more example as to why I would LOVE to move back to Nashville.

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is minding your own business instead of the business of others. My mom always said "If it does not affect your job, stay out of it.

2. Whenever I buy anything at the seafood counter, Michael wants me to buy him clams.

3. When I think of carnivals I think of funnel cakes with lots of powdered sugar and foot long corn dogs extra crispy.

4. The Lilly is my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include multiple things to drink, laptop, and assorted paper products.

6. Summer makes me wanna smile.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying in and hanging with the family, tomorrow my plans include seeing my mom and a soccer game and Sunday, I want to organize pictures.