Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Eve Ya'll!

I'm sitting here in Arizona and working hard to find that Holiday spirit. It's hard when the weather is spectacular and your days are spent swimming in the pool and having drinks.

I spent the afternoon wrapping gifts and that helped and had 3 hours away from everyone to listen to carols and wrap everyone's things.

It's nice to be back in Arizona. It's amazes me how easy it is to forget the spectacular landscape here, and how little of the landscape you really see when you have green trees every where. I can't say I prefer one over another - I find them equally awe inspiring.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Things are crazy here. As in C R A Z Y.

I'm going to fess up. I failed my test AGAIN. By one point. yes. one point folks. So - I'm just a little bit of a failure. :) I'm going to take it again soon - I'm just not sure when.

Why?

Because we leave tomorrow morning for 2 weeks in Arizona. I can't wait. We had a huge storm here this weekend and have about a foot of snow on the ground. I love the snow and it does so much for my holiday spirit - but it will be here when we get back.

Thursday was a suckfest. I failed my test. Then it snowed and snowed - we ended up with about 4 inches. Then later that evening I was walking over to my neighbors house and literally fell upon her doorstep. I was carrying Em and so I had to do some serious contorsions to avoid falling on her and landed directly on my elbow. OUCH. Em was fine but I ended up at the doctor. They were going to send me for Xrays on Friday - but when I woke up I could move it - so I chose to skip the Xrays. My entire body is sore, and Friday was a litle scary since I was dealing with extreme dizziness but I'm on the mend.

We had our family Christmas here Saturday night. It was nice - the girls loved their presents and we spent all night singing to High School Musical Sing It. Holy hell that's fun.

So, we're getting ready to leave. I have about 10 loads of laundry to catch up on since Thursday and packing and cleaning. We're so lucky to have such great neighbors as they will be watching our place and taking care of the cat.

Well - I have to get back to work. Kids are screaming, laundry needs washing and folding and there has to be some sort of packing going on soon!

Melmo

We took the girls to see Melmo - they had a blast.

This is what my daughter can do - un noticed by her mother - 2 feet away.

It took 5 days to get this woodworking marker off of her.

The big test

I know you are anxiously awaiting news of my test.

Most of you already know, but I did not pass the test.

In other words - I have a giant FAIL next to my name.

SUCK.

I passed the property exam, I passed the casualty exam, I failed the Maine state endorsement exam.

The biggest bummer is that I have to take all three parts again.

So, Tim Horton's and I will continue our late night rendez-vous until I pass this fun.

SNOW DAY!

It snowed.

Boring picture I know, but insomnia keeps me from being inspired.

Julia is home from school today and her choir concert for tonight is cancelled. 4-6 more inches expected through the day.

Maybe I'll muster up the energy to suit up the kids and head out into the elements for some snow time.

FUN!

Last night we were all cuddled up in the girls' room as they were going to bed.

Dan let out quite a loud, um, fart.

After a minute or so Anna leaned over to Dan and whispered (in that kid whisper that's audible across a room), 'Daddy, did you just poop your pants?"

He said no, and she responded, "it's okay if you pooped in your pants"

Oh yeah - my girls retro

Yesterday we were in the car and Julia was singing along with the latest Chris Brown song. I was surprised she knew the words.

I asked her if she knew who the singer was.

She said she didn't, and then asked me if I knew who it was.

I told her that it was Chris Brown. Her response...........

"Is he Bobby Brown's brother?"

Wha????? How does an almost 7 year old know Bobby Brown? It's not like Dan and I have ever watched "Being Bobby Brown"

Yes - It's Dance Dance Revolution.

Still funny

Hello?

Hello!!!!!!

I'm here.

Barely.

I am studying like a mad woman. My licensing exam is Saturday afternoon.

I'm hoping for the best - but it is 300 pages of highly specific, technical info broken down into a test of 150 questions.

I think I'm doing pretty well - it's just a lot to absorb. So if you need to know anything about insurance - lemme know.

Happy Turkey Day

Me: I'm thankful for you girls, and you Dan. I'm thankful that we live here in Maine and that we're happy and healthy.

Julia: I'm thankful for my grandparents

Anna: I don't know yet

Me: It can be things you are happy about - like your family, this food, your sisters

Emma: Yeah. (nodding her head)

Me: You are thankful for your sisters, Emma?

Emma: Yeah (nodding her head enthusiastically

Dan: I'm thankful for my wonderful wife and my beautiful girls. I'm thankful for all that we have and for all that we don't. And I'm thankful for Lexapro and Zoloft.

Me: That's a good one.

Anna: Thanks for coming

So we had snow

Dan called the other morning and asked if I was excited about the snow.

"Oh. There's snow?"

I looked outside and a faint dust of white was on the grass.

"Oh. There's snow."

It's on. Bring it winter.

Whatcha paying for milk?

Milk is insanely expensive in Maine right now.

My favorite grocery store had milk the other day for $4.89 a gallon for 1% milk. This wasn't even the pricey organic milk we normally drink (that's $3.49 a 1/2 gallon right now) - or even branded milk.

The other grocery in town had it for $4.99 a gallon.

I'm thinking my dreams of owning a dairy cow one day might not just be a dream - but a necessity. We go through 2-3 gallons a milk a week. Sometimes 4. That means that $60 of my monthly shopping bill is just milk.

An article in the local paper said that right now the dairy farmers are making $1.99 on a gallon of milk. so $2 a gallon is going right out of my pocket into the grocery stores'. Nice.

I'm glad I'm a water drinker.

Fluidity

Guess how many different fluids I had on me by 9am this morning?

1-snot
2-vomit
3-breastmilk
4- cow milk
5- urine
6- poop (which normally wouldn't be classified as fluid - but this certainly was)
7- water

Unfortunately some of these were multiple exposures.

Did I mention that I did not spend my morning as a healthcare professional? This would just be what the Doughkids can bring when they've got game.

Blog worthy

Seriously, I think of 20 things a day to blog about, yet when I sit down to write any of them it just isn't there.

I'm dealing with some insomnia and the effects are always so ugly. It affects so many different parts of my life. I'm fine - just tired and grumpy. So really - same old same old.

I'm still studying for my exam - which has been scheduled for December 1. I can't wait.

We're getting ready for Christmas already. We won't be doing a whole lot of decorating this year. Maybe a fake wreath on the door, some candle lights in the window. Nothing exciting. We're trying to get most of our shopping done before December so that we can have the smaller stuff shipped to AZ for Christmas morning. The girls will be exchanging their gifts (we're letting them give the big gifts to each other this year) here before we leave. Our neighbors will be taking care of our place while we're gone.

Smarty pants

I've alluded a couple of times that Julia is a smarty pants. Tonight was Julia's Parent/Teacher Conference.

Whew. She's a smart duck.

80% of the class starts 1st grade reading at level 4 on their evaluation scale. Julia just leapt over level 16. So - the last test they did put her firmly in the 3rd grade reading level. They don't test much higher since it isn't placement testing or standardized testing - it's just their in house evaluation to make sure she's challenged.

She's doing great in Math and Science and is doing a lot of work with the 2nd graders in her class.

We have the option of having her tested formally but for now we have chosen not to. We're happy with the education she's currently receiving, and wouldn't change anything right now. Her teacher is aware of her needs and is addressing them.

I was thrilled and a little freaked to hear all this - but we were so happy to hear that she's a good helper, a good listener and very highly regarded by her teacher and other staff. I guess she thanks the janitor on a regular basis for helping out - and he singled her out to the front desk attendent for it.

Thanks for letting me brag on my youngun. She's amazing!!

More fun than lead paint...

I'm thrilled to hear that the latest recall of a product made in China is not a lead paint recall. Really - what is the fun in toys that only cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech, language and behavior problems, decreased muscle and bone growth and hearing damage.

We can do better than that - I know we can. Lead poisoning has been around for a long, long time. How about we find a more creative and 21st century way of harming a kids with cheap toys?

I know!!!!!!! How about make toys that essentially melt down into date rape drugs when swallowed. Oh - lets also make them in the shape and color of fun little candies.

Oh wait. I'm too late. Our good friends, the masters of quality toy production have already created such fun - also known as the aqua dots. This powerhouse of fun can lead to seizures, coma and even death. Now that's a product I can get behind.

Order me three!

Friends

Can I just tell you how different my life is right now compared to a little over a year ago?

Therapy and meds helped tremendously, and I'm so thankful for making that choice to see the doctor for my severe depression.

More than those things though (wow - that was some serious alliteration), letting myself have friends has been a literal lifesaver. I have a real friend across the country, but someone that I wouldn't have a problem calling at 3am if there was a crisis. Someone I don't worry about just going away and ending our friendship. Someone I have4 allowed myself to trust and care about.

I've also allowed myself to have friends here too. Another family where we like both the husband and wife - AND the kids!! Other women that I don't mind being stuck talking to at the playground and on playdates. I still haven't found a local Target shopping buddy... but I will continue to look.

So - here's to friends.

Failure

Motherhood seems to be a series of failures. I know it sounds like a horrible way to view something that should be full of such joy. Don't get me wrong - it is full of joy. It is what fulfills me more than anything in this world ever has.

What I think makes me a good mom is that most days, I'm OK with being a failure. Some would say that failure isn't the right term, but after almost 7 years in the trenches - I know it is.

My days consist of laundry that is just waiting to be flung from the dresser to the floor, dinner that is lovingly made that gets thrown on the floor (Emma) or critiqued more harshly than a fine dining establishment, vacuumed floors almost instantaneously covered in Cheerio crumbs, sinks sparkling clean just waiting for a coat of blue mint toothpaste, beds made to be unmade, windows waiting for fingerprints, toy boxes full just waiting to be emptied. Seriously - my day is about doing things just to have them undone.

It's easy to get caught up in this cycle, and I feel particularly susceptible to it now that I have three to look after. Some days I have to forcefully remind myself that it's not about this. That every day is not just another day of working hard and not accomplishing much.. everyday is about getting another start - about getting a clean slate to do better.

I'm not sure what the answer is. For me it's to involve the kids more and more in helping me with these labors. I have to also concentrate on the successes. The giggles, the hugs, the challenges. It's easy to lose sight of the big picture when there is ANOTHER pile of laundry waiting, but cuddling up at bedtime with three squeaky clean girls IS the prize. Listening to their voices sing "You are my sunshine" and beg for another round of "Golden Slumbers" makes me forget the mac and cheese clinging to the carpet.

Could she be any more beautiful?

NO. Just No.

Here it is...

Remember that employment opportunity I was so vague and covert about a couple of posts ago? Well, I need your help with support in getting through the next two weeks as I prepare to take the licensing exam.

What might I be doing? Well, I'm getting my P&C license. Yes, that's right, I'm going to be dealing in insurance. I'm not planning on working as an agent anytime soon, if ever. I'll be doing some work for another agent, and will be her backup when she has to be out of the office.

So there it is. It's not as exciting as real estate or as crazy as really setting up any number of the business ideas I have, but it's something else for me to do. I'm hoping to sit for the licensing exam in about 2 weeks and I need help having the mental clarity to study for two weeks. I'm out of the habit, and my brain hasn't been taxed with such dry material since my last foray into Chemistry (which we all know ended very ugly). After I pass the exam (fingers crossed I pass it on my first attempt), I will be doing a two training for the agency I'd be representing.

Please think of me as I study!!

A+D Ointment = Lots of shampoo

While I was cleaning up the dining room after lunch - Anna was apparently decorating her little sister with an entire tube of A+D Ointment. IN HER HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you not familiar with this product - think Vaseline. Thick, petroleum based gel that apparently is impervious to any kind of soap/dish detergent/shampoo combination. After 20 shampoos (of both Anna and Emma) with various cleaning methods I still have one very greasy headed child and one sort of greasy haired child.

So a more in depth search was required. We will take a new crack at the hair tomorrow....

So for those wondering how to get it out.... I have found this info online.

FROM HAIR EMERGENCY: If you apply a little cornstarch to the hair and carefully pat it into the hair, it will absorb some, if not all the vaseline. After you apply the cornstarch you can shampoo it out with a good clarifying shampoo and it should be removed. If the vaseline is not completely removed in the first treatment, it will be removed to the point where one more treatment will remove all of it. Be sure to use warm to hot water in the shampoo. Cold water makes the vaseline worse. Or you can try putting about 1 teaspoon of baking soda and mixing it with a regular baby shampoo and this should help. Unfortunately Vaseline is petroleum based and can be almost impossible to remove. If the clarifying or baking soda does not work, try using soft tissue to blot the hair and see if that removes some of it.

Ok - from wikihow:
Soak your hair completely in olive oil.
Scrub the olive oil into your hair with your hands.
Apply dish-washing liquid; it should cover your hair. Don't use dish washer type, use the kind for manual washing.
Scrub the dish-washing liquid into your hair.
Wash your hair out completely.
Apply conditioner to your hair if you like.
Enjoy your petroleum-jelly-free hair.

Let's just say our water bill is going to be high this month. UGH.

Boogie Down

Today Dan and I visited Anna's last dance class for the parent participation portion. All of the little kids were boogying down with their parents... except for Anna.

She wanted nothing to do with either of us. She just danced with her friends, her teacher and the other parents.

When I asked her tonight why she didn't dance with us, her response, "because I dance wif you every day. I only dance wif miss. holly at class."

ahhh. sure.

Trick or Treat!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!

The whole Dough family loves ya!

Skanky

It took me hours of online searching to find a NON-slutty Halloween costume for Julia. She originally wanted to be Hannah Montana - but was easily talked into being the BoPeep for Emma's Sheep.

I found some, but they were almost $50 and/or still waaaaaaaaaaaaay too slutty for my sweet 6 year old.

I made one instead. As in... SEWED!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and other than some serious miscalculations in my attempts to construct bloomers without a pattern, it went without a hitch.

I think it turned out precious. I even made a matching trick or treat bag from the purple gingham and the lace edging. She'll be the cutest (non-slutty) Bo Peep out there.

Pressing

Today the Dough Family headed out to an apple pressing party. Dan's friend from his past job invited us and the girls to their house. I was a nervous wreck at having to meet other grown-ups in a social setting, but it went well. One of the ladies even came up to me as she was leaving to tell me how much she enjoyed talking with me and she was so glad she met me. Weird.

It's a funny thing that anxiety does to people.

The girls had a blast decorating foam pumpkins and pressing apples in a real old-time apple press. My girls were so well behaved. It was a warm afternoon, and wasn't particularly Fall-ish but the atmosphere was great.

He's home

After a week of being a single mom, I'm so glad to say that Dan has returned.



Things were a bit hectic and crazy. Julia was not on time to school a single day this week. Seriously - I became THAT mom this week.

He makes the house a mess faster than the kids... he leaves his dishes all around... his clothes on the floor... but he makes my life easier in so many ways.

Proud Momma

Here's the thing... Julia is wicked smart. We've learned things about her over the past year that indicate she's a smart chick. I'm amazed by it but I just accept it as part of who she is. I am proud of the fact that she works so hard, because that's what impresses me.



Today though, I received a note that brought tears to my eyes. I often have moments where I'm proud of my children. They regularly show glimpses of kindness and politeness and all the things that really mean something to me. Today though, my heart exploded with pride.



Julia has been recommended for a peer group to help some of the kids that are having problems making friends - as a role model. The letter said that she's deomonstrated the kinds of behaviors they would like modeled for these other children.

She rocks.

Yep... It's October which means it's time to get PINK!

For all of the women who have won or lost their battles against breast cancer - and to those who have had their lives touched by this cancer, my blog has gone pink for the month of October.

I think it's wonderful that everywhere you go from the end of September through the early stages of November companies are in some way spreading awareness and donating proceeds of their products to various Breast Cancer charities. Yes, I know that most of this is a major marketing ploy - but I do believe that awareness is key and so for that I support the cause. I also will encourage you to click on the links on my sidebar to make donations directly to various breast cancer organizations.

Early detection is instrumental in the battle against this disease. Make sure that you and your friends and your loved ones are squeezing those boobs (click on that link for a tutorial on breast self exams from the Komen Foundation) every month. Talk to your sisters and mother about getting their annual clinical exams by a doctor. PLEASE get your boobs squished annually once you reach age 40 or earlier if you have a family history.

I hope that by the time my girls are older this isn't the same scary situation as it is today.

I want to tell my my family and friends battling this cancer to keep on fighting, stay strong and keep on surviving. In honor of those still fighting and in memory of those who lost the battle - THINK PINK!

My mother in law P
My husbands Aunt S
MyAunt P
My Great-Aunt LJ
My friend Deb
My friend Pam

And yes - I have heard of the Boycott October movement - and although I'm not a BC survivor, but I can completely understand the sentiment. I feel that it's not my place (not having had BC) to weigh in on the situation. I do know that my MIL and aunts proudly wear their pink ribbons and wave them as their battle flag - so for now - I still support the pink movement. In anyway, shape or form, awareness is awareness.

I HATE TIME WARNER CABLE

Just so you know.

Seriously. We have had nothing but problems with them. Their digital phone is terrible. I mean TERRIBLE.

I'm tired of service people. I'm tired of them telling me to "try this and try that". I'm tired of them saying, "oh now it's better."

I'm tired of having to be within 10 feet of the phone base for it to work. I'm tired of not having volume on channels above 100 when I want to watch something. I'm tired of not being able to use the DVR that they "gave" us for our inconvenience because it operates on channel 600 and we don't usually have volume on channels above 100.

I'm tired of nights like tonight where my 3rd and 4th favorite shows are on at the same time - and my DVR won't let me record one of them because it says it can't record 3 shows at a time. No NOT three shows. Just one. So... I had to watch the Office and Grey's by flipping back and forth. Not good.

I'm tired of having to pay out the arse for something that doesn't work. I'm tired of having to pay for it because I need a cable modem for my work.

Did I mention I hate TIME WARNER CABLE????

A whole new world...

I thought I would update on the craziness that's happening around me. Last week I was begged (followed into the parking lot by the manager) to apply for a job at BRU. She was bribing me with promises of sparkling water (ha) and a fill in the blanks schedule.

Then on Saturday the manager at Gymbo offered me a job and was shoving applications at me and I found another one in my bag when I got home.

Yesterday I was offered a very exciting business opportunity that is tailor made for me. I will meet with her later this week or early next week to go over the details and I'm psyched to accept the offer. Once it's a done deal, I'll fill you in on the details.

It's unbelievable.

My business is going well. I had my first client come and go (and I'm so proud of him for making it big) and my other client is doing well and adding services. I also have a couple more potential clients lined up. (BTW - I'm looking for someone to do a logo design??? Anyone, anyone??)

Seriously, I'm in awe.

For a stay at home mom - I feel like I've struck gold. Feeling needed and sought after in the business world is an amazing feeling. I'm even more excited since the opportunities will allow me to continue to be with my kids.

The rest of the crew...

Verrrrrrrrrrrrrry interesting...

This is how my beautiful daughter walked out the door this morning to go to school.
And no... she doesn't wear glasses...

Bitten by the bug...

As i mentioned in my previous post regarding Dans transgressions... I took Julia to see the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of Cinderella.

Julia is a very musical kiddo, very dramatic. I think she found her calling. Her momma did too.

I briefly had dreams of auditioning for the upcoming presentation of Much Ado About Nothing (my favorite Shakespeare production). Then I found that they were holding auditions in NYC. Not exactly what I'm interested in cutting my dramatic teeth on. (I'll look for something a little less... well a little less)

Julia wants to perform though. She's currently in the choir at a performing arts studio. She wants to learn the piano and violin. She wants to do ballet and hip hop. She wants to sing. She wants to act. I need a 2nd and 3rd job to come close to paying for this stuff.

Sleep, blissful sleep

I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but more than normal, so I feel fairly decent today.

I slept in my comfy bed last night, with clean, fresh sheets. No vomit to be found.

Em spent 90% of the night in her bed, also no vomit to be found.

I consider that a success.

Dan.... Divorce... things that start with D!

Ok. It was not a good week for Dan. Well, the week was fine for him, it was me that had the bad week.

Monday night, at 445pm I call Dan to find out what the doodah is for his arrival time from work. He informs me he has a meeting from 515-545pm. He'll be home by 615pm. So I change my dinner menu from a quick homemade pizza to apple cinnamon stuffed pork chops. 630pm. No Dan. 7pm. No Dan. 730pm. No Dan. 745pm Dan finally shows up. BAD MAN.

I tried to explain to him all the different reasons that it was rude, disrespectful and not acceptable to be almost 2 hours late without calling.

Tuesday. 6pm. No call. (Oh.. did I mention his traditional work hours are 8-5p??) 615pm. Dan calls. "I'm on my way."

Wednesday, 510pm. Dan calls. Will be home around 6pm.... shows up at 615p (DOING BETTER!!!!)

Thursday and Friday had small hiccups but he was home around the time he said he'd be. I'm all good with that.

Cue Saturday. I am going with Julia on our Mommy/Daughter date to see Cinderella. I call Dan at 315p to let him know that it was intermission, and so we had about an hour left.

4p - the show is over (it was pretty good... funny too!!) and I call Dan to pick us up. He doesn't answer. 2 minutes later he calls back. He's across town.

430pm - Most of the cast has left the building.

445pm - The crew has left the building... they are locking the building. Julia and I have hit the Cumby to get a drink and a snack. Still standing on the side of the road. Call Dan. Quietly leave some nasty comments on his voicemail so Julia can't hear. Think of lots of other nasty comments. Bite through tongue to avoid spewing them.

455pm. He arrives. He immediately drives to Red's and uses cash in envelope to buy ice cream cone and begs for forgiveness. I'm thinking about it.

yack

For the third time this week, I am awake in the wee hours of the morning with a sick kidlet. Anna started last weekend with a fever and laid in my bed whining till all hours of the morning.

Then came Julia with her horking in the middle of the night on Wednesday. All 5 of us were up from 330-630a with her. Again. Fun.

Now this morning (as in 12:10 AM) Em just puked her little guts out. Soooo much vomit. Ick. I was holding her (well, of course I was!!) when it happened. She had just gone back to sleep, and she got me good. Not a single drop on her though. Nice. Again. Fun.

I'm hoping this fun ends soon. I need some sleep.

Oh - and no funnel cakes for me tomorrow... I have to stay home from the Fair with the puker.

What a bargain....

I'm a well known bargain shopper. I love to see those orange red clearance stickers (the ones with the slightly rounded edges... you know at TARGET), and I'm a pro at spotting that little, 15, 30, 50, 75, 90 in the corner. It's like it's calling to me.

It's gotten me into some trouble though. Over the years I have bought some things that I didn't really need then just because they were so discounted. It adds up.

I was reading an article in some form of a magazine at the beginning of the summer - and it just clicked for me. The author said that if you buy something you don't need, you aren't saving anything. Saving money would mean putting it into a savings account, buying things on clearance (even 90% off) means you are still spending money.

I've taken it to heart, and have been trying to avoid those clearance stickers. That doesn't mean I don't still look. Earlier this summer I found some long sleeved shirts for the girls for $1.34. I did NOT pass that up. Oh, and those 97 cent skirts at Old Navy... I bought those too. I did pass on many other amazing deals.

Dan and I are now on a very tight budget. It's actually kind of a relief to have control over our finances again. I know exactly what I can and can't afford. I can buy what I need without feeling any guilt (which is common with me) and I can easily put things back that aren't a necessity or within the budget.

Where we have a hard time is eating out. We've never been super splurgers. We use coupons, don't eat at high end restaurants, and I sometimes use Mystery Shopping for a great deal while we're out. We don't normally do apps, and rarely do dessert other than for the girls (which usually comes with their meals). Yet, we eat out way too often. Even once a week at a restaurant ends up being $200-250 a month. That's a lot of groceries or gas (well, groceries anyway). So we've changed that too. We have built in our budget a certain amount for eating out. This includes fast food, my Tim Horton's addiction and restaurant meals. To make sure we stick to this, we have starting putting that set amount in cash in an envelope. When the envelope is empty... we eat at home. So far, 2 months in, it's working well. It also helps keep that cumulative amount fresh in my mind. It is a little easier now that we're back in town, so when I'm out running errands, it's a little more convenient to pop home and eat than it was when we were so far out of the way.

So... we've moved into our new little home for a year or two. It's small, but larger than we thought we'd get. When we left AZ, we had gotten rid of a lot of our furniture, including our couch and chairs. Moving into this house, it's been interesting since we've been getting our stuff out of storage for the first time in over a year. We've been sitting on a futon, and since Dan broke our entertainment center - our tv and equipment was up on the girls old tv stand from their playroom. All we needed was some plywood/cement block shelves and some milk crates and we'd be smack dab back in college.

Over the last 3 weeks we have begun the task of replacing our stuff. The catch, we had a really small budget. We needed to get a living room, some things for the kitchen, dining room and the girls room for under $1000.

WOW. Dan and I being the bargain shoppers had our work cut out for us, but we did great. Better than great.

We bought this couch and loveseat.... This was a return from another customer. More than 1/2 off.

We bought the couch and loveseat, an 8x10' rug, a solid oak entertainment armoire (which matches our side bookcases from to replace the broken one - missing the doors but we don't use them anyway), accent rugs for the back door and hall, a painting - all for under $800.

We bought a peg-rack (and the paint for it), a microwave, cabinet inserts for the kitchen (think lazy susans and stacking shelves), and a 5x8' rug for under the dining room table for under $120.

We bought the pillows and decorations for the girls room for under $30 (we can't paint so we bought removable wall stickers... they are so cute (pink and green dots)... 5 for $5.00!!).

With everything tallied, we still have $100 left. The couch and loveseat alone are normally $1000! We need to find a trash can, an end table, a lamp and a floor lamp... but I think we can easily do that with the remaining money.

So... a big thanks to the local furniture store, Target, Home Goods, the Dollar Store (where we bought the girls wall decor) and the mill store.

Hmmmm.....

I took this career assessment tool that I found on Like a Fish Out of Water, and I'm amazed by it. Most of them have to do with where I was heading with my education... counseling of some kind, some form of social work or some sort of law. hmmm....

These were my results...

clergy

Child and Youth Worker

Social Worker

Addictions Counselor (was my major at MSU - psych and criminal justice)

Motivational Speaker (would love to... have considered a motivational podcast)

Gerontologist (not so much)

Probation / Parole Officer

Art / Music Therapist (no talent here...)

Marriage and Family Therapist

Religious Worker

Community Worker

School Counselor

Career Counselor

Rehabilitation Counselor (what I thought I'd be)

Sport Psychology Consultant

Psychologist

Humanitarian Aid Worker

High School Teacher Considered this - but think I'll stick to the younger set (PK-2nd grade)

Music Teacher / Instructor (except I have no talent whatsoever)

ESL Teacher

Foreign Language Instructor (I have studied 5 years of French, 3 years of HS Spanish and 2 years of collegiate Spanish, and 1 year of ASL)

Director of Photography (I was a photog for the school paper - does that count? HA!)

Customer Service Representative (done this)

Adoption Counselor

Criminal lawyer (what I wanted to do for about a decade of my life, some sort of law, but mostly a defense lawyer)

Director

Civil Litigator

Lawyer

Judge

Editor

Actor (oooohhhh I'd love to, but missing that performance thing)

Librarian (I don't think so)

Mediator

Criminologist (this was what I wanted to do eventually, mixing psych with CJ)

Professor

Desktop Publisher

Corporate Trainer

Animator

Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator

Computer Trainer


To check yours:

1. Go here
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark
3. Take their “Career Matchmaker” questions

Chop Suey

I'm having a hard time posting something after my last post. I mean what follows this? I guess life.

So... a topic Trooper would approve of... FOOD.

In my summers in Maine I've often heard talk of a mysterious "chop suey". Having had chop suey in Chinese restaurants, I have often wondered why the "Mainers" had such an affinity for overcooked veggies with noodles.

Then I found that here in Maine, there is AMERICAN chop suey. I heard long ago that all chop suey is an American creation - so I once again assumed we were talking a Chinese-ish dish.

Lo and behold I was sorely mistaken.

There is an entire world of food that has just slipped below my radar. (Much like meatloaf with *gasp* GRAVY? I thought everyone slathered their meatloaf in a ketchupy mixture???)

So, after talking with lots of people about my new found discovery of American Chop suey, I have found that there are many, many different variations of this meal. (Ok, do I sound like a fun person or what? Wanna be my best friend? We can talk about Chop Suey? I sound like a riot, huh?)

I think this might be the REAL American meal.

It uses elbow macaroni and ground beef. Two staples of the average American's diet. (Macaroni salads at picnics anyone? Burgers?) Some people make it with celery and onion, others with bell pepper, onion and mushrooms, some just onion. Some use tomato sauce, others use spaghetti sauce. Some add Velveeta, some mozzarella and others are shocked to hear that cheese is involved. I've heard of people adding different spices to change the "ethnicity" like adding cumin and some hot pepper to make it pseudo Mexican, some throwing in oregano and basil with some Parmesan to be more Italian. Some used canned ingredients, some use fresh.

What it boils down to is that it's as diverse as we are. It's fast and easy. Something else fairly descriptive of us as a Nation. It's also pretty inexpensive to throw together. We here in America like our cheap. Just ask Wal-Mart or the Chinese who have been assembling all of our high quality merch.

So anyway, I used my neighbors recipe for Chop Suey and found that it was delicious. The kids ate every bite off their plate. A winner here. Whatever you put in it.

OK - the recipe, how I made it last night...

In a BIG saute' pan, or dutch oven pan (you can boil your noodles and then transfer to drain and use same pan to cook veggies/meat), saute' in a little butter or olive oil 1/2-1 green bell pepper, 1/2 onion, 1 package cleaned and sliced white button mushrooms (you can also add celery, rainbow bell peppers or canned mushrooms). Saute' until soft.

Then add 1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef (if you use higher fat beef you'll want to drain some grease) and cook mixture until beef is done.

If you didn't do it before, boil elbow mac in separate pan, (I used the larger casserole sized elbow mac) until done.

Add jar of fave spaghetti sauce to meat mixture, turn heat down. Stir well. When sauce warmed up, add mac and mix together.

Dan added mozzarella to his 2nd helping and liked it.

Let me know if you try it, and what variations you use.

Dog Heaven

Tonight, I sadly had to read this book to my girls.

A little piece of my heart broke this afternoon as I held my Troopers head in my lap as he was relieved of his suffering here.

He's been sick for quite a while, months even. Thinking he was suffering from bowel issues from eating random stuff (this theory was supported by midnight visits to the ER vet) we let this continue way to long. Today, I woke up to find him and his kennel covered in vomit. I got him out and cleaned him off, and I realized his stomach was severely bloated. He peed and then laid down in the woods.

I knew.

I don't know how I knew this was different than all other vomit/bowel issues we've had over the last 6 months, but somehow, I just did.

I called the vet. They got us in, but the wonderful vet steeled me for what I had suspected. It might be time.

We were lucky to be spared the big decision. It was much worse than we suspected. It was not bowel related. He was either in final stage of cancer or he was suffering from heart failure. The vet was very confident of the latter, his swollen belly wasn't bloated, it was filled with fluid. He told us we could drain the abdomen and ease the pressure to make him a little more comfortable, but he would not get better.

Dan balked and wanted to run tests. The vet said he could run many, many tests, but that he didn't not believe it would tell us anything that would change the outcome.

We let the girls say their goodbyes and I was so impressed with how Julia handled herself. Anna didn't have much to say at the time, but her behavior this evening gave it all away. It would be so hard to not have the words to explain how sad you were. She finally was able to express herself tonight. She going to bed and asked to say goodnight to Callaway and Trooper. I told her that Trooper died and he wouldn't be coming home (nicely of course). She then cried and said she wanted to say goodnight.

It's strange to have gone from 4 pets to 1 in the course of 2 years. Callaway was our first, we got him 13 years ago. He's the last pet standing.

Trooper was a beautiful dog. At first glance, his Rottie-"ish" looks tended to scare people, but he was such a big baby. When he was younger he would cuddle and gently nibble on his stuffed toys. He was so good to my girls, and he was a great little dog. He had such a beautiful expressive face. Even at 10+ years old he looked like a puppy.

I spent many a time secretly wishing we didn't have to deal with him. Owning him made finding temporary housing incredibly difficult, but I could never give him away just to find a house. The almost 10 years we had with him were wonderful. I think that he hung in there long enough to get us here, to our current home. We had other places in mind. Newer, nicer... but we just couldn't do them because of their pet policies. We are so happy here. The girls love being able to safely ride their bikes, they love having a neighborhood full of kids. We have really enjoyed everyone we have met here. We're here because of him, and I'm thankful for it.

I know I'm rambling. I guess I just have so much on my mind, it's still too raw to be eloquent or succint. My heart hurts, but I'm happy Trooper is out of pain. I'm glad I could be sitting with him as he left this world. I'm glad it was my arms he took his last breath in. I'll miss him.

Here's to the 2996!

I just wanted to take a moment and remember the 2996 people that perished 6 years ago.

I'd also like to remember Todd A. Isaac who was remembered in last years 2,996 project I participated in.

*graphics courtesy of hawggraphics and tcdesign

Shuffle...

Hurray!!!!

The dock for my ipod shuffle broke (the little pin came loose) and I've been shuffleless for 2 months. 2 LONG months.

No Keith and the Girl, no This American Life, not even my wonderful music.

It's sad.

But rejoice - yesterday in the mail arrived a flex dock that I bought from Carrot Idea. I ordered it well over a month ago, and never heard from them. I had checked my account daily to see if fraudulent charges would show up... but they never did. I contacted them about my purchase. Nothing. But it's here now. YEAH!

Do a little dance...

My washer and dryer arrived today. WHEW. These girls accumulate a lot of clothes in 4 days. They said they didn't know how long it would take to get in. I'm impressed with 1 business day.

The nice guy installed it, and I ran my first load of laundry (using the Tide with Bleach sample (what kind of detergent do you use??? Fabric softener or dryer sheets?). It worked fine until the spin cycle.

OH MY.

The racket this thing caused. I've had washers that have "walked" a bit. This thing was beating down the door to come out. It didn't help that it's on concrete floor, but I'm serious, I was certain it was possessed.

When the guy came back to attach the dryer, I told him it was making noise. He said that a certain amount of noise was expected. I didn't bother to argue... I simply turned the washer back on. It made him jump back!

Apparently there is a rod they insert to keep the drum still during transit. He hadn't removed it.

The washer finished in quiet.

I no longer have to trudge down to the dark, wet basement carrying armloads of loads down steep narrow stairs. I no longer have a washer the size of a bathroom sink. We're talking about doing a load with more than just one sheet washing at a time!

Ahhhhh.

Kids, kids, kids...

I'm sitting out in the front yard. This neighborhood is crawling with kids.

The girls spent three hours this yesterday riding bikes and scooters and having a blast. I am sooo glad we finally have found a place full of kids the girls ages.

Anna has a little friend M a couple of weeks younger than she is. They are very similar, headstrong, busy, active little girls. M's been trying to ride a tricycle hybrid for three months, her mom was just telling me how she just can't get the hang of riding a bike. Then she climbed on Anna's and was riding around the loop (we have this awesome round driveway in front of the house that the kids and ride on without being in traffic) with no problems. Anna spent most of the time happily chasing after her.

Em sat in their little cozy coupe push along for an hour buckling and unbuckling herself. Today she has been riding around in the little trike Fred Flintstone style.

Julia is now playing house with the two little boys from down the street. These boys are cracking me up talking on the pink fluffy Barbie phone, and sitting on the purple Dora bean bag chair.

Here's a funny Mama story...

The other morning, my mom went to McDonalds to get an ice cream cone.

At the drive-thru she said to the young man, "Can I have an ice cream cone?"

The young man replied, "I'm not your mom, if you want to order one, I'll give it to you." HA

At the window my mom explained she was simply asking if they had them that early in the day. He apologized for being "fresh". My mom left with an ice cream cone and a smile.

UPDATE:

My mom returned to McD's this morning for a cone. As she pulled up to the speaker she said, "Can I get a vanilla cone, please?"

The response from the box, "Isn't it a bit early for ice cream, did you eat all your breakfast?"

My mom's reply, "MOM? Is that you?"

HA

When she got to the window the same kid was working. He apologized to my mom and said he saw her coming and just couldn't resist.

I think he made her day!

It's PARENT'S DAY!

Yes, it's the first day back to school.

I actually miss Julia. For the most part I have really enjoyed having her home for the summer. At the end it was getting to be a bit overwhelming since we were gearing up both to move and start school.

She is very excited, but told me this morning her stomach was full of flip flops.

I couldn't find her lunch box anywhere, so I packed her lunch in a grocery store bag. Yes, she's one of THOSE kids. As soon as we got back to the house I found her lunch bag in a matter of seconds.

There were about a half dozen kids at the bus stop this morning - she was happy to see her little bike riding friend from yesterday (she was racing her bike with the boys). Compared to last year when no one rode her bus for the first 2 months, this was a lot more fun.

I'll post a picture later... she was NOT interested in posing for pictures. She was mortified when I tried to take her picture as she got on the bus. Maaaah-aaaaam!

We're home....

Well, home for the next year or two anyway.

Yes, we moved... AGAIN!

I'm now sitting with boxes piled up all around me, this is the first time in over a year that we have had our things out of storage. It's a LOT harder to move when you are moving furniture and boxes, than just a couple of suitcases and few belongings.

Lost in the move:

-Our entertainment center cabinet that we only had for about a year before we moved, bit the dust. The center board split in half, then all the boards split in half.

-Our 7x10' rug that we've had for 12 years. It was the only thing in our entire storage unit that had any mold, and apparently it had a lot.

Found in the move:

- Enough clothes to outfit a small village (and most of it will probably end up being donated, little girls in the Portland area will be styling)

- Baby paraphenilia (also being donated or craiglisted), I can't believe it's finally time to get rid of the swing, exersaucer, etc..

- Toys... oh the toys. The three favorite boxes unpacked were the dress up clothes, toy kitchen stuff (although toy kitchen didn't come) and the big box of books. Upon opening one of the boxes Anna exclaimed, "HOLY MOLEY!" It was like Christmas for her yesterday.

So, hopefully we'll be here for a while, I DON'T want to move our things again.

Yummo

Another delicious dinner was had in the Dough house. It was inspired by the side dish I had with my lamb kabobs at the Inn for our Anniversary dinner.

Here is an edited version of a recipe I found. It was so good. It took some work because I cut the veggies ahead of time into small pieces and I should have just followed the recipe, it would have made it much easier to grill (I used the Foreman).


Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup olive oil
Salt
freshly ground pepper

2 green zucchini, quartered lengthwise
2 yellow zucchini, quartered lengthwise
6 spears asparagus, trimmed
12 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1/4 cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll in a cigar shape and cut crosswise into thin strips)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Israeli couscous
Vegetable stock, heated

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard and garlic, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour 1/2 the marinade over the vegetables and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Preheat the grill. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and grill the vegetables until just cooked through.

Cut the zucchini and peppers into 1/2-inch pieces, cut the tomatoes in half.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the couscous and toast until lightly golden brown. Cover the couscous with the hot stock and bring to a boil, cook until al dente and drain well.

Place in a large serving bowl, add the grilled vegetables and herbs and toss with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

I made some changes... I added red and vidalia onions and didn't do asparagus (I didn't have any), I also did red, yellow and orange peppers since I had them on hand.

I didn't cook the couscous like they recommended. I just followed the directions listed on the box I bought.

I also made some extra marinade anjd marinated some chicken and grilled it to go with.

So good. The girls just ate it up. They even asked for the leftover for their bedtime snack.

I can't take it anymore...

What is up with the MANPRIS??????

I just want to say to all ya'll mens out there... just don't do it. Please.

I beg you.

You are not meant to wear cropped or capri type of pants. Board shorts are as long/short as you should go with non traditional pant lengths.

Even Zack Efron in High School Musical 2 (at the end singing All For One) is wearing some capri length jeans. ICK.

The boys from HI-5 are also often caught wearing this non-flattering downright scary fashion NO.

Summer lovin'...

Best part about living in this house...

Playing in the ginormous acre+ yard




Worst part about living in this house....


Mowing the ginormous acre+ yard





We have been locked in a 2 month battle to get someone to mow the yard. The guy who normally cuts the yard (oh yeah... he showed up at the door and announced... "I'm Paul XXXX from Clippendales" I thought I was getting a show! I was thinking, "awwww thanks Dan!") moved it once while he thought it was still the old tenants.


We thought the owner had called him so we thought he'd come back. Then 2 weeks later we called him to come back. He never called us. We scheduled someone else to come out and mow, but both times it was pouring rain.



4 weeks later (2 weeks ago) he showed up to do an estimate. He said that since the lawn had gotten so long it would be big bucks - but to call him that night and he'll give us an estimate. So we call.

No reply.


Call him again. Leave another message.

Nothing.

Call him again. Leave another message.

Nothing.


Last weekend we attempted to use the lawn tractor. THe choke is frozen. After three hours of messing with it, it was going to cost us $200 to fix a tractor that isn't ours to mow a lawn once. I don't think so.


It's now 1 week before we leave, and we have to do something.



So Enter the Billy Goat!!

I spent 2 1/2 hours mowing 2/3 the lawn. I have blisters the size of quarters on both palms and from wearing Dan's shoes (I didn't have any closed toe shoes) I have blisters on both heels. I love this thing. It is super self propelled and cut down these weeds like they were teeny bits of grass. Awesome. Dan is finishing up now and I am amazed at this thing. It was worth every penny to rent ($40 for the weekend). I'm relieved it will be taken care of.

Screw Mr. Clippendales and his non phone call returning self.

Damn that's perfect...

My friend Shel was describing her son who is Anna's age, "He has devil horns holding up his halo"

Seriously... you could not find a better description of Em. She is the most mischevious little thing, but with a wicked smile and a sense of humor that is outragous. She is sarcastic. At almost 18 months. You only have to be around for a little while to find out she's probably smarter than you are and that she knows it.

She has a little glimmer in her eyes that is brilliant. Anna has one too, but it's different. Anna is a curious and funny in a hammy, silly kind of way. Anna is Jon Stewart/Dana Carvey to Em's George Carlin. And I mean the raunchy George Carlin. Julia is more Jane Austen than comedienne.

Em's very much a study of contradiction too. She's fiercely independent, refusing baby food by 9 months (give me the grown up stuff, damnit!!), figuring out how to get out of her crib by a year... she is the "I'll DO IT" kid. Even though, she's clingy and a mommy/daddy's girl (you never know which you'll get from her). People often ask me, "Is she laughing or crying."

I usually reply, "yes"

Silence

I love my kids.

Being a mom is amazingly inspirational. And downright tiring at times.

Right now, when I should be working (yes, at midnight - like I can get anything done when the kids are awake??! ha) I am sitting in my bed with hum of a Baby Einstein (it bores the kids right to sleep each night) DVD playing. Three little girls fill the the empty spaces of the double bed we are currently using in this house. Dan is on a flight back from Atlanta (finally after hours of waiting out storms), and the girls fought hard to sleep with me tonight, and I let them win. I remember wanting to sleep with my mom when my dad was out of town.

All three girls are sleeping. It amuses me to no end how each day pretty much begins and ends in perfection and somewhere in the middle is, well, sometimes perfect, but usually just good. Sometimes bad, sometimes hard, sometimes stressful. I mean come on... the second best thing about parenting are the free giggles.

But no matter how difficult my day is, I hold close the fact that before I go to sleep, I will get to cuddle with three angels. Their horns slide back in their skulls at night for comfortable sleeping and the halos perch just above their sweet little heads. I know that one of the last things I will see everynight are rosy sleep flushed cheeks. Normally I then get to skip to my room and enjoy silence, but tonight I'll take the light snoring and bumps.

The girls sleep just like they live.

Julia likes to be bundled up in her blankets. She throws her self around dramatically in her sleep, and frequently shouts out dire warnings or professions of love.

Anna can't be restrained by mere cloth. She throws her blankets aside (thank goodness for those soft, warm fleece jammies). She goes and goes and goes until she passes out. She sleeps as hard as she plays. She rarely moves but when she does it's usually to toss herself out of bed. Even in her sleep she's a danger to herself.

Em. Well, the best way to describe Em's sleep is that she doesn't do much of it. She's unpredictable even in sleep. One night she'll sleep 10 hours, the next night she'll be up every hour from 8pm-8am. She can sleep like a rock or throw herself about. She can sleep through barking dogs and accidental smoke detector alarms, but can wail awake with just the quietest padding of the cats feet across the carpeted floor.

I should be sleeping, but the silence is alluring. I don't realize how loud they are as a trio until they do finally stop for the day.

Ahhhh...

ha ha ha ha ha

Oh my how funny iks this laughing baby!!



Try not to giggle... I dare you...

Thanks to very funny BECAUSE I SAID SO for this gem

Oh what a night...

We had a great day yesterday and finished it off with a spectacular night.

We spent the day lazing around the house, cleaning and doing laundry. The girls were busy outside getting sap all over their clothes playing on the tree swing and running around merrily.

Then we went and looked at a prospective house. It was nice but I like our planned arrangements a little better.

Then we loaded into the van and headed to Freeport. We found a great parking spot right away and loaded the sleeping bag, folding chairs and our big bag into the stroller and headed over to Bean. The place was packed and so we walked around a bit finding a place for us and the stroller. After securing a spot we dropped off the blanket and chairs and went school shopping.

Julia picked out her backpack (she chose purple instead of blue) and we found her a pair of adventure Maryjanes. We bought a pair of flannel pants for Em and then went and joined Dan back at our seats.

I was so excited to find that Brandi Carlile was the opening act. She is an amazing vocalist and songwriter. I'm a big fan of her song "The Story." Check it out if you have a chance.

Then it was time. THEY (the Indigo Girls) came on stage. I have seen them 3 times before and I know they always put on a great show. They sang a bunch of new songs, and my favorite old ones. Julia and Anna made a new friend (and I had a great time with her mom) and we all danced and bopped and sang along. In this kind of outdoor venue we were able to walk around and get really close to the stage. It was great. They brought Brandi Carlile and Melissa Ferrick on stage for Closer to Fine. They closed with Galilieo. Couldn't have been better since I LOVE that song. Anna and I were dancing and singing along.

So I leave you with Galileo...

galileo's head was on the block
the crime was looking up the truth
as the bombshells of my daily fears explode
i try to trace them to my youth
then you had to bring up reincarnation
over a couple of beers the other night
now i'm serving time for mistakes made by another
in another lifetime

how long till my soul gets it right
can any human being ever reach that kind of light
i call on the resting soul of galileo
king of night vision
king of insight

i think about my fear of motion
which i never could explain
some other fool across the ocean years ago
must have crashed his little airplane

how long till my soul gets it right
can any human being ever reach that kind of light
i call on the resting soul of galileo
king of night vision
king of insight

i'm not making a joke
you know me i take everything so seriously
if we wait for the time till all souls get it right
then at least i know there'll be no nuclear annihilation in my lifetime
I'm still not right

i offer thanks to those before me
that's all i've got to say
maybe you squandered big bucks in your lifetime
now I've got to pay

but then again it feels like some sort of inspiration
to let the next life off the hook or
she'll say look what i had to overcome from my last life
i think i'll write a book

how long till my soul gets it right
can any human being ever reach that kind of light
i call on the resting sould of galileo
king of night vision
king of insight
how long, how long, how long

Freaking delicious....

Ok, every Thursday night up at the lake we have a lobster dinner on the beach. Lobster, steamers and delicious garlic bread are provided and everyone brings a side dish and a dessert. Seriously good stuff passes through there each week. My Aunt Patty always makes her yummy fo*replay pie (because it's really "Better than se*x" pie). (I'm not sure if this is the recipe, but it's like this one...)

Crust
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup butter
Filling
1 cup Cool whip divided
1 (8 oz package) cream cheese
1 (3 oz package) cream cheese
3 packages instant vanilla pudding
4 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (optional)

Method CrustMix flour, sugar and butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Place in a 9 by 13 inch pi pan. Bake at 350°F until brown, about 10 minutes. Cool thoroughly.FillingSpread 1/2 cup cool whip into the cooled crust. Soften the cream cheeses and mix with pudding and milk. Mix well. Spread this mixture on top of cool whip. Top with more cool whip and chopped nuts. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

This last week someone brought a terrific salad that everyone raved about. My mom and I tried to replicate it using her recipe but we were sorely lacking. I've done some research online and I think I have come up with a version that works great for me. This dish looks like you spent all day chopping veggies but it's super easy and SOOOO good. It's colorful and yummy. I think it would be a 4 season dish too. I'm making it this weekend and I'll post any tweaks then.

Oriental Broccoli Salad

Dressing (if this didn't make as much dressing as you'd like, you can double it, but I found doubling it made the bottom of the salad soupy)
1/2 cup oil (olive or a veggie oil, with a splash of sesame if you have it)
1/4 cup rice (or distilled white) vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 packet from Oriental (or chicken) flavored ramen noodles

Salad:
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, crumbled (seasoning packet used in dressing)
2 package of Broccoli slaw (variety with shredded carrots and red cabbage)
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 small bell pepper, diced (red or yellow would provide a great look)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 - 1 cup Craisins (or raisins if you prefer)
EDITED TO ADD - a can of drained mandarin oranges would be super yummy!!

Mix salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Let dressing sit and then put on salad when ready to serve.

Then... Dan and I went to dinner at the Inn where we were married. It was delicious. We had a great time with my cousin and her fiancee'. I had a delicious beet salad that I had to have again when I went up for drinks and apps with my friend J. This is the best re-creation I could find.

Beet Salad

Gorgonzola Dressing (or if you can find a good bottled gorgonzola dressing)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola


Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

1 small Red Onion, cut into thin sliced circles
3 tablespoons coursely chopped walnuts

Beets:
Rub beets with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in foil covered roasting pan. Roast in 350 degree pre-heated oven until you can easily pierce the beet with a paring knife (approximately 45 minutes for a baseball size beet). Cool and slice with a knife or mandolin. (Or you can use canned sliced beets or a light pickled sliced beet)

It was beautifully presented on a large salad plate. There was a beet slice in the center of the plate, with 5 beet slices surrounding it (think like a 5 petal flower with a center). Each beet was then topped with one of the onion circles. The gorgonzola dressing was mostly drizzled in the center and then sprinkled with the walnuts.

It was yum yum yum

Back to School Shopping

We're just over two weeks away from school starting here, but we're getting ready here at the Dougherty house. We're lucky in that the school district Julia goes to doesn't require school supplies purchased for Primary students. There are still plenty of things to buy... so I thought I'd share some of the things I've come across in my online adventures.

Backpack

Here in the land of the frozen tundra our backpacks needs to be large enough to hold folders, library books, dry shoes, wet boots, snow clothes and mittens... luckily we don't carry school books back and forth and when we run out of room for the lunch bag, we attach it to the bag with a carabiner.

Julia's preschool and Kindergarten bags were both from LL Bean. Both of them saw lots of use (the preschool bag is still being used by Anna) and have held up spectacularly. They don't show any wear and clean nicely. We are letting Julia choose a new bag this year only because she doesn't want a pink one... but we've explained it will have to be for 1st and 2nd grade. She wants a messenger style bag, but we're going with a traditional back pack again.

LUNCH BOX:

We'll be doing the Lands' End Clean Sweep Lunch Box. It's leak resistant, seamless for easy cleaning and a rigid bottom to keep things from being crushed. If you have pulley back pack it also has a handle to slide over the handle for easy transport.

Aren't these clothing/item labels awesome??? I'm sure Julia's school isn't alone in that it ends the year with piles of unlabeled lost clothing. I'm pretty sure I'll be using my trusty Sharpie again this year, but I love the idea behind these. Labels for clothes, tags for bags and equipment...

I also like these bag tags (I don't have a graphic) from Stuck on You.

SHOES:

I'm totally into these All weather Mary Janes from Lands' End. These will be perfect for non gym days, and I don't have to worry about the suede getting damaged from damp mornings at the bus stop. Mom's Helpers (and I'm not talking about the little happy pills)

As for me, I'll be using my new Mom's Family Calendar. It was awesome for us last year. I only wish it had more room in each spot because I'm a big writer... I'll be keeping track of the school menus, parent guidelines, dance schedules, etc... with the Kitchen Folio my mom bought me (THANKS MOM!!) from momagenda.In my bag will be the momagenda daily mini planner along side my PDA. (I just can't give up the hand written back up). It has the same mom plus four planner set up that the family calendar has but in a portable size for me. I love everything momagenda has. They have these great menu/grocery list notepads, babysitter notepads. If you have kids or even a busy hubby to plan for/with/around... it's worth a peek.

Ahhhhh.... It's almost time!