What I Learned This Week

Happy Wednesday!

The past week I have learned......

* That an almost three year old can sniff out candy from a mile away. There is nowhere I can hide the stuff without John finding it.

* Some cashiers don't like it when my toddler screams "Jingle Bells, Your butthole reaks" to them in the checkout line. I don't know why....

* To trust my mommy-instincts when it comes to my children's health.

* That there is no worse feeling than having a child that's in pain, and not being able to do anything to help her.

* That the advice of wise "older" people is worth more than a million bucks.

* That my 8 year old secretly wore the same socks to school for 4 days. Yuk.

So, what have YOU learned this week??

For more lessons learned this week, go visit Jo-lynne at Musings of a Housewife.

Souper Saturday!

SOUPER SATURDAY!

My friend Janel at Dandelion Dayz is hosting the last Souper Saturday until next fall.

So here is my best, most famous soup for you to enjoy. I've been surprised at how many gals I've met that have never made homemade chicken soup. It's one of my kid's very favorite meals. A slight variation makes it chicken and dumplings, which IS my kids very favorite meal! You can always substitute the dumpling noodles with rice.
Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cups baby carrots (or a few large carrots, cut up)
chicken boullion
1 package frozen dumpling noodles (Anne's or Mary B's brand, in freezer section by biscuits)
salt and pepper

Rinse the chicken, put in large stock pot. Cover with water. Add celerey, onion and carrot. Turn on high, boil, then turn heat down. Cook about 1 hour, till chicken is done.
Remove chicken and veggies. Add enough water (and a little boullion if needed) to increase broth so that there's enough to boil the dumplings. Bring to boil, add dumplings, boil a few minutes then simmer for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, debone the chicken.
When noodles are done, add chicken and veggies back to pot. Salt to taste. Simmer a few more minutes all together.

Here is another VERY kid-friendly version...
Chicken and Dumplings
Follow same directions for soup. After dumplings are cooked, add only the chicken back in. Remove a few cups of the broth. Then stir in a large can of cream of chicken soup. Cook for a few minutes all together. This is very yummy - tastes like Cracker Barrel's Chicken 'n Dumplings!

For more yummy soup recipes, go to Dandelion Dayz!

Cleanest Fam on the Block

Kids are always asking for a story. Sometimes it's hard to think of one.
So today, I will tell a tale called "Our First Family Butt-Vacuuming."

Let's assume it happened last night. Not that this ever happened. But, if it did, it would have happened like this.....


"Honey I need the vacuum!" Hubby calls.

WOW! I think, he must want to clean. OR, toddler has spilled crap all over.

So I rush the vacuum in.

"I need to vacuum Emma's butt," Hubby proclaims.

The story unfolds before my eyes...

He pulls out the hose attachment, turns the vacuum on, and dives for Emma on the couch. Emma screams and won't budge. Ryan tries to tackle her off the couch, and shove the hose on her (fully clothed) bottom. Clara and John are both laughing and screaming.

He dives for the other two kids, and starts going after their butts, too. Then he moves on to the toddler's head, and stomach.

I turn away in disbelief, But there is more to come......
When I turn my eyes back to the room, husband is standing in front of a window, vacuuming his own butt. The room is in an uproar.

I can't believe he didn't realize the window isn't covered.......
I start making mental plans to move to another state IMMEDIATELY......

Hubby kneels on floor and tells kids, "Watch the canister to see if anything comes in!" And then sticks the attachment in his belly button.

(Is there possibly even just ONE other man on this planet who thinks he might have enough belly button lint to see it fly into a vacuum cleaner???)

The kids vacuumed their heads and stomachs. Then they went to bed.
There have never been cleaner kids that showed up at school.
Well, at least there wouldn't be if this had ever happened. :)

My 25 Things

Well, I've been "tagged" about 10 times on Facebook to write 25 random things about myself.
So I thought I'd post them on here, too.

Honestly, it was a little weird speding this much time thinking about myself. How often do moms do that???

So here are the awesome things that you didn't even know you don't know about me!

1) Celery is the worst taste I can think of.
2) I used to do competative gymnastics, and I also did ballet, and danced on pointe for a few years before giving it all up in high school to be on the pompon squad. I didn't really enjoy my pompon years.
3) I also played piano. I'm not real good anymore, but still like to play sometimes. My piano used to be my step-grandmother's when she was a child.
4) I've bungee jumped three times. Once I became a mom, fear took over and I've had no desire for dangerous thrills since.
5) I used to perm my hair years ago, but haven't had one in over 8 years. My curl is natural. But I've been straightening it the past few months.
6) I love tea, and collect tea cups, teapots, and tea accessories. My china cabinet is full. I have everything I need to throw an awesome tea party.
7) I love coffee. Since Ryan started roasting his own coffee beans years ago, I can now tell the difference between Colombian, Kenyan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Guatemala, etc. I am a true coffee snob.
8) I've been a mom for over 1o years, and have 3 kids. The older I get, the more I understand that there is not only one right way to parent, and find myself having little tolerance for people who are judgemental.
9) I believed in God from a very early age, and don't remember ever NOT believing that he was my Saviour.
10) I can't stand noise. If I'm talking with someone, and music is louder than talking level, it will drive me insane. I attribute this to being the oldest of 4 kids, and always having a napping kid in the house.
11) I don't really enjoy watching movies.
12) I love to read. I usually finish a book in one day, and stay up all night. This isn't such a good thing.
13) I hate the scent of vanilla candles.
14) I am not an animal person. I know you think your pet is great, but I can guarantee that I won't like it. This dislike for animals has really come back to bite me in the rear. My girls are animal crazy, and I take them to a horse farm for riding lessons every week.
15) I like to cook, and am really good at it.
16) I like gardening, but haven't put much time into it since we have lived in this new house (3 years...). I grow great herbs and flowers, but don't do so great with most vegetables.
17) My heart is burdened for children who are hungry. Did you know that with just $35 a month, you can sponsor a child, and change their life? Go to http://www.compassion.com/
18) I think one of the biggest mistakes parents can make is giving their child almost everything they want. The last thing our world needs is another generation that expects everything, yet appreciates nothing.
19) I believe that people should give extravagently. If we took care of our true NEEDS first, and then gave till it hurt, imagine what could be accomplished in this world. Unfortunately, lots of people take care of their needs, then all of their wants, and then only give if it's convenient.
20) I sometimes dream of running a tearoom. And Ryan and I have talked about running a bed and breakfast when we retire.
21) There is also part of me that would like to sell everything we have, and move our family to another country to serve people in need. Maybe we will do that one day. Until then, my job is to help right where I am.
22) I am thankful for my good friends. I love girl time, and having friends that know me inside and out.
23) I think everyone needs good friends. Sometimes friendship needs to be pursued. If you find yourself without the friendships you crave, be the one to make the first step.
24) I enjoy visiting big cities, but after one day, I feel clausterphobic and need to get out. I could never ever live in a city.
25) When i'm gone, I want people to remember me as someone who loved God, and loved others.

If you have a link to a "100 things" on your blog, or anything else like that, please leave the link, and I'll read your list!

It Can Be A Good Thing

Last night I had a Southern Living Party at my house.

We had fun conversation, yummy food, and great drinks ;)

At the end of the evening, conversation turned to small businesses, and home businesses, and how difficult things have been for everyone with the state of the economy.

Of course I did my fair share of moaning and groaning, and made sure to let everyone know that I spent 6 months worth of work that all went down the tubes last year when none of my house listings sold.

I'll also admit, though, that I seemed to maybe be the only one that doesn't really think the state of things are such a bad thing for the poeple of our country. I am by NO MEANS saying that this economy hasn't had some serious or even devastating consequences for some people, and I don't mean to diminish that.

But in my corner of the world, the main effect I've seen it have on people is just that it's making them watch their spending a little bit more. Maybe things are tighter than they've been in a while. I understand - it's that way for us right now, too.

Even though I'm not thrilled with the fact that there isn't *extra* money to be spent in our family, I just don't think it's a bad thing. Our country's expectation of what normal should be is so far off from what I hear it was just one generation ago. People actually saved money for years to take a vacation. They saved and saved and saved to finally be able to buy that new sofa. New floors or counters or vehicles just weren't a part of normal, everyday life. And I guess recreational shopping wasn't considered the norm, either. (Can you imagine???)

There's part of me that wants this recession to be over - like, right now.

But there's another part of me that hopes it lasts a while. Maybe just long enough for most of America to get used to doing without, and to be ok with it. Can you imagine how it could change the state of people's hearts - to actually be CONTENT with what they have? (And believe me, I'm including myself in this, too.)

I read this little poem somewhere, at some point in time, but don't remember where:
"Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it last,
Or do without."

Yikes!!! I SO do not live like this. Do you??
But I do wonder what other parts of me would change if I adopted this attitude.

Whew. That's enough thinking for me on a Thursday morning.......

I can't BELIEVE what I did.......

I cannot believe what I agreed to this past weekend.

It all started a few weeks ago.
My husband says: "I have an idea. But I don't want to tell you because you're going to think it's crazy."

Uhhhhh.......

Me: You want to move????
Hubs: "NO"
Me: You want another BABY???
Hubs: "Well, along those lines...."
Oh, Lord have mercy.........

You guessed it.......
A DOG.
Isn't three kids enough???

Here's the problem. I am not, Not, NOT, NOT an animal person.

My mother raised me to think I would get rabies from touching a bird feather.
(and I am SO not joking.)

If I come to your house, and you have a dog, I will smile and exclaim how cute and sweet he is.
And, I will be lying.
I don't like your dog. Or your cat, or your stinky hamster that I smell from downstairs.
(SO sorry........)

The fact that both of my girls not only want to be vets, but ride horses every week is hard enough. They have been begging their whole gosh-dern LIFE for a dog.

(I will NOT mention the fact that we got a puppy a few years ago and GAVE HIM AWAY a few months later because he was such an idiot.......)

(Animal lovers, please just let that comment pass........)

ANYhoo.

Back to the story.

After Ryan picked me up off the floor, and gave me glass of water, I listed to his explanation.

He wanted to do something really WOW for the kids.

Yep, that's WOW, all right.

Here's where the problem comes in.
My ladies group is doing a book on marriage. We've been talking about things we can do to bless our hubbys.
Could my husband have asked for a clean house, a back rub, a nice dinner? Lingerie?
No, he wants a stinkin' dog.

And I obliged.

After looking for the perfect dog for a few weeks, we adopted a sweet, 5 yr old dachshund/chihuahua mix named Chaz. Ryan surprised the girls on Saturday, and an hour after we told them, he was delivered. He's so quiet, and he snuggles all day. I have to admit, he's not that bad.
Actually, I kinda like having him around.

So on Tuesday morning, when my friends are talking about the new recipe they fixed for their man, I will show a picture of a canine......
Who woulda thunk it????

Is it really OVER?

Happy New Year!


I'll admit, this is the very first year that Ryan and I have EVER had our decorations put away before New Years. We had our second annual "family friendly" New Year's Eve party again. With 60 people that rsvp'd, I felt like I HAD to take everything down to make more space!

I've actually heard some people say that they take their tree and decorations down the day after Christmas.

SERIOUSLY??? I would love to know how they explain THAT one to the kids.

Christmas night: Tuck the kids in bed, give hugs and kisses, kids go off to bed dreaming of all the presents they found under the tree that morning.
Wake up: BAM! Sorry kids, Christmas is OVER!

To each his own, I guess......

Not that I've ever had issues with wanting to extend the Christmas season.
Nope. Not me.

Because I surely DO NOT have a picture of Ryan and I, in front of a Christmas tree, holding a sign that says "February 2nd, 1996 - Christmas is OVER!!!"

No, I most definitely do NOT. :)