Catching Up...Yeah, It's Been A While

It has been a LONG time since I posted anything here.  What can I say except that life took over and time seems to fly by at record speed.

A lot has happened since my last posting...

My son was born in March 2014. (uh huh, it's been that long)

He is now a 3 year old destructive goofball.

I now have not one Middle Schooler...

 but TWO in the house.

We gained and had to let go of a pretty adorable, fun spirited, precious doggie.

(Rehoming her to some family of a close friend of ours was the best thing we could have done for Storm. She now has the land to run on, play pals who can't keep up with her energy, and is a hiking buddy as a furry baby to another family)

Essential oils are still a part of our lives...LOVE them and won't do life without them.  And there are still tons of discussions with people about how they can be used to help them daily. The business side of the oils has been put to the side at this point though.

I have branched into a new career as an agent with Appreciation Financial helping people save and make money while also protecting their families. (Love love love my new job!) Never would I have thought that I would love working in life insurance and annuities so much. While I work with the general public, most of my time is spent with teachers and school district staff in our community, which I feel do not get the attention that they should. The teachers in our community deserve to have good retirement plans in place, and helping them get to where they want to/need to be for their future is so incredibly rewarding.

The long blonde hair is still here...although what you see below may someday make me pull it all out or go completely platinum from all the gray.

Life is busy, kids are growing and just to keep it real...this nightmare of sock separation & pairing NEVER ends.

Our quick jaunts up to Lake Tahoe even taunt me with their shop full of socks every time we walk through the shopping center at Heavenly.

This week starts the festivals that our family really enjoy here in Reno...starting with the 2nd annual Chalk Art Festival at the Atlantis Casino.

Those artists last year really were amazing (checkout the photos in the link above)...but I personally loved just watching my girls get down and add their own creations to the asphalt last year.

Confession Time:  Unfortunately I have fallen into the habit of using the same recipes or quick-fixes over and over again...which needs to change pronto! You know it's bad when the kids are like, "It's Tuesday so that means we're having spaghetti again." *sigh*

So my mission is to find, or rediscover, some recipes that I haven't served up to my family to shake things up a bit.  The ones that win them over will definitely be shared.  But tonight, tonight it's Sam's Club Kansas City Style Baby Back Ribs!

Do You Know YOU? I mean, REALLY know YOU?

I started writing this post with the title: Why I Love Being A Mom.  I transitioned into something very different from my initial thoughts...and I am so happy that it did.  There is wisdom here that I pass along to young women whenever I can.

 

There are so many things that make being a mom one of the most rewarding titles in the world.  Honestly there is nothing that you will put so much time, tears, frustration, and love into (other than a marriage) which yields such enormous rewards.  Those rewards don't come wrapped up in pretty paper and bound in elegant bows...they come in priceless moments and the eyes of your child.  There is no price tag that can be placed on that nor is it possible to give an adequate comparison to it.

Yes, being a mom can be beyond exhausting and try your patience more than heavy traffic, but there are these little nuggets that make it all worth it.

Happy Wednesday - Really!

It may be overcast and very grey outside this morning.  However, this morning has been one very nice one I must say.

 

My son woke me up bright and early at 6AM, had a bottle and went right back to sleep. I love it when this happens!

 

My girls got up and ready for school without any fighting!!!  That is a miracle in and of itself...the fighting part.

 

My husband was sent off to work with a kiss and a smile.  (Nothing new there.)

 

With everyone off to do their daily "doings", I made a pot of Vanilla Biscotti coffee and settled down at my laptop to join a Twitter Party. (I love Twitter parties...you just have to keep up.)

 

First Day Of School

 

It's that start of another year and my girls' individual style is shining through...

 

Rose: Rainbow striped zebra shirt, rainbow butterfly capris, rainbow gummy bear bracelet, mood changing necklace and rainbow zebra striped boat shoes on her feet. 

 

Grace: Blue/green ombre tunic w/VERY glittery large flower, matching leggings, Hello Kitty flip glasses (for fun) and her "disco" boots.

 

I love my girls and their uniqueness.

 

This morning started off with a phone call from one of my Grace's friends...15 minutes before my alarm was set to start hounding me.  I hate waking up from something else before my alarm goes off. It just completely throws me off. Bit this extremely tired, red-eyed Momma moved on and tried to get dressed as swiftly as I could before rousing my kiddles.

 

Just like me, they hate being woke up in the morning. My "Good Morning" song was greeted with a big smile from one (shocking) and the comforter being pulled over the other's head (not surprising).  After about 15 minutes giving the best pep talk I could come up with (on 5 hours sleep) to simply get them out of bed, the pep talk for getting them dressed began. I think it helped that there was the smell of bacon cooking in the air...it's a great motivational tool. The aid of a mule team might have been needed otherwise.

 

I had one girl excited about seeing friends and one begging (with a monsoon of tears) for me to not make her go. This was not the best start out of the gates for poor little Rose. Having all of her friends in different classes was posing a huge dilemma for her...although she did have one of her best buddies, Joe-Joe (as she calls him), to get her through the morning. I'm praying that they are seated next to each other...otherwise there will be a negative right at the beginning of class for her.

 

Well on a good note, breakfast went smoothly without a spill or confusion of clothes for a napkin. THAT'S HUGE!  I had fought the urge to go buy one of the ridiculously huge raised donuts from Doughboys Donuts and went with a breakfast drink & bacon for one and eggs & bacon for the other. My Charming even got his tummy blessed with a breakfast burrito...he was a happy man.

 

Lunches are always tricky, but somehow I was able to make both girls happy without too much information prying and collaboration needed. With Rose completely anti sandwiches (she just hates bread) and not willing to go a pasta salad route, it's always a challenge. Final solution - several containers: peanut butter, fresh strawberries, a mozzarella cheese stick and organic gummies. 

 

Both of my girls were so nervous about their new classes because they each only had 3 out of 24 classmates that they knew. This was a huge change from the last year when teachers were able to help keep more of the kids together. We were so thrilled with the two teachers that the girls got though. All summer we had been praying for God to give us favor in their placement...there is a horrible teacher (with tenor of course) who has treated classroom after classroom of students with such insensitivity and hateful words. Thank God that our Grace did not get placed with her! I would have been in battle mode for sure to keep her from ever stepping foot in that classroom.

 

Why is it that a teacher with tenor can keep their job when any one of us would lose ours for being inappropriate and down right hateful & demeaning?

 

 

Anyway, we all made our way to the lines that awaited us.  By this time both girls had gotten excited to see friends again and were assured that Daddy & Mommy had their backs should anything need to be dealt with. (I had already battled the school for half the year last year because of rotten treatment from a half year substitute for my Rose. I know what I'm doing and don't back down when it comes to my girls or the treatment of any other student in their class for that matter.)  Daddy stayed with Rose until her class was ready to go in while I tried to catch up with Grace and pull her from the wrong line into the right classroom. 

 

I'm believing that it's going to be a great year. One where true friendships are created that will carry on into middle & highschool.

 

Now I sit here with green tea in hand and sincerely hope you all have a wonderful start to the school year too!

 

A Battle Fought...A Victory Won!

Oh my gosh!  Have you ever come out of a week/weekend feeling that you now need a vacation from it all?

Last week was not my typical week...as I do not like confrontation one itsy bitsy bit.  Since the beginning of the New Year there has been a shift in my 1st grader's classroom...a substitute covering while the regular teacher has been out on maternity leave. (as she rightly should be)  At first all of the kids seemed to be excited about having a temporary teacher and had liked when she had subbed for the class before.  Things have not turned out as all had hoped and let's just say that there have been far less happy days since the change has taken place.

Everything came to a head last Thursday when my daughter came home and burst into rivers of tears when I asked how her day went at school.  When I tried to comfort her and probed for the reason behind the waterfall on her face I was told, "She told us to shut up!"

"Who told you to shut up?!"  (mommy alarms are sounding and anger is brewing)

"Mrs. Teacher told us to shut up." ("teacher" is my censorship in an attempt to spare the teacher's name... out of respect)

"Did she say it to just one, a couple of kids OR the whole class?"

"She said it to all of us.  I didn't see her but we all heard and got really quiet."  She said her back was to the teacher when it was said but that everyone gasped and were quiet.

Sobs grow louder and tears are now falling like Niagara Falls.

"Please, please, PLEASE don't make me go back to school until Mrs. Peak comes back!!!" 

At this point my heart is completely broken for my daughter...and I am on a mission to right whatever wrong has occurred.

Text messages begin going out to see if any other moms can corroborate the story with their children.  It turns out the order was voiced at two children, but the entire class heard it and some thought it was directed to everyone.

Oh, let me tell you, this mommy's frustration level hit the roof and blew straight through!  It was not the first time that inappropriate words had been spoken in the class...a few FAR worse than this before.  (an "F" bomb overheard, "Little Sh**s")  This was it!!  I was done pushing things aside and hoping simply for issues to be resolved on their own.  It was time for this mommy to take some action....and I wasn't the only one on a mission for resolution either.

The Friendship Mediator

Today I just need a light moment to vent and pose a question.  It seems more and more that I am being called on to deal with the friendships of my girls. Is anyone else having this happen?

 

Whenever I can I volunteer in one of my girls' classrooms, and I have noticed so much rudeness between these little 1st & 2nd graders that it makes me want to scream.  Including my own Grace...which really makes me want to scream.

To PEEP Or Not To PEEP?

With Easter fast approaching, I thought that it would be fun to share a little humor - and possibly get some creative juices flowing - in regards to those sugary marshmallows we all know (some love, some hate)...
 

the PEEPS!

 

It looks like so much fun to pull off.  I just may have to start this tradition here in Reno...we will see. :)



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Happy Valentine's Day ~ Focused On Love

Happy Valentine's Day! 

 

This Valentine's Day is a little different than ones in the past.  This year the focus truly is strictly on love and appreciation. Chocolates, flowers, cards and jewelry are getting tossed to the side...well, really just not a consideration. For those who have read any of my Faith Walk posts, you know that my family has been in a very tight financial situation.  When that comes into play you really learn to value what this holiday is supposed to be focused on: LOVE.

My girls have been having a great time making Valentine cards for friends and helping me with our traditional fortune cookies.  Last night they got to hand the cookies out to the kids in their class at church...and a few other people got to take some of the extras home too. (adults love cookies too)  Sharing the sentiment of love is what it's all about. There are still a few friends that we need to get to today to share a little sweetness with.

For my husband and myself, this year we are forgoing the "extras" and are verbally expressing our love and gratitude toward one another. It doesn't matter if I get jewelry (it'd be nice, of course), or chocolates (I can make my own), or flowers (overpriced and die too quickly anyway). 

 

What matters is that I have a husband who loves me, accepts me for all my cracks and quirks, has my best interest at heart, consoles me even when he doesn't understand and has this amazing ability to make me laugh in the middle of an all out cry-fest.  God has blessed me with someone that I don't have to constantly wonder about whether or not he loves me because he expresses and shows his love for me all the time.

 

I count myself ridiculously blessed to have my little family. Blessed that we have our health, that we are close-knit and (sometimes annoying) love for one another. We carry on today knowing that this year we are focusing on the thing that is truly important...showing our love for one another in ways that a store can not supply.

My girls are also getting to learn to exercise their love for one another. I'm pushing them to think of each other and help each other even more today. And it's working!!!  They have been talking sicky-sweet to one another and helping with everything. I love it!

 

Today I was able to enjoy a heart-shaped pancake brunch with my kiddles. We each got to top them with whatever we liked. 

 

 

Mine took on the form of an open faced cherry pie...which I highly recommend. (Warmed cherry pie filling is SO good!)

 

 

Grace's was simply chocolate drizzled. 

 

 

Rose chose to top hers with chocolate drizzle and toasted coconut.

 

 

Later tonight our homemade Valentine Fortune Cookies, games and giggles are on the agenda.

 

What special moments have filled your V-Day?  Hope that yours is filled to the brim with real love. 

MAC's Archie Comics ~ Betty vs. Veronica

I am a huge Archie comics lover.  When I was in junior high & high school I looked forward to every new edition that I could get my hands on.  It was my way of moving into teen-hood and being entertained by some great characters in the process.

 

The on and off romance of Archie between Betty & Veronica just lends itself to Valentine's Day...the dreaded love triangle.  There was just something about Betty that made her my fave...maybe because she was also a blonde and I wanted to see the good girl win.

 

So in honor of my love for Archie comics, here's a little something that I came across for your viewing entertainment...

 

Who would you choose?

Discovering Cajun Food ~ An (almost) Kiddle-Free Night Out

 

This past Thursday Charming & I attempted to have a long deserved night out.  I do stress attempted.

Things were all set for an evening of casual dinner conversation without telling our girls to not over-stuff their mouths, eat their veggies and not spill their drinks. 

A night of relaxing with one of our favorite old movies. The Private Eyes ~ Tim Conway & Don Knotts

A night of uninterrupted sleep. YES!

Our girls had both been dropped of at their grandparents for a sleepover fully equipped with books, stuffed animals, DVDs and plenty of overindulgence (compliments of grandma & grandpa).  Fuzzy socks and cozy jammies were included to insure that no one was too chilled and would sleep soundly through the night.

Although dead tired, I took the time to fix me hair, get a little gussied-up and grab my dinner certificate for our night out.  This opportunity doesn't happen often.  We had been wanting to try a Cajun restaurant, Jazz - A Louisiana Kitchen, for over a year and tonight was going to be the night!

As we pull up into the parking lot Charming's phone rings...Grandma on the line.  Which is always a bad sign once the kiddles have been dropped off.

"Are you serious?"

Not a good start.

"We'll come by and pick her up right after we eat."

An even worse reply.  One of our little kiddles had Grandma put in a call to pull-out of the sleepover. 

 

There went our night.  Now we had to make sure that we finished dinner before everyone was set to go to bed...and we wanted to draw it out.

Good News: Jazz was wonderful!  The food was exactly the change from the norm that we had been hoping for.  I knew that I was going to love it...I love Cajun cooking.  Charming was another story all together...he's not so fond of experimenting with his taste buds.  BUT he loved it too.

Starters ~  Beer Battered Fried Pickles & Beer Battered Onion Rings ~ We discovered that we both love fried pickles.

Main Dish ~ Beer Battered Shrimp w/Hush Puppies & Cajun Coleslaw (Charming); Muffaletta Sandwich w/Hush Puppies & Cajun Coleslaw (yours truly) ~ The best coleslaw that I have ever had...and I am not a coleslaw fan, but I could be eat this with every lunch.

Dessert ~ Beignets! with a Chantilly Cream

Oh my gosh!!! I am hooked on beignets!  This week there will be a search and some experimenting to come up with my own version of those tasty treats. 

 

See that alligator? See how happy and content he is?  That was me.

So after soaking up the atmosphere of beads, alligators, neon & mardi gras fare (we won't talk about the bad one-man-band that was performing), we headed out to venture over to pick up our Rose.  Her earache was demanding Mommy & Daddy's attention.

 

Once rescued, given Tylenol for the pain (it was caused by a molar coming in) and settled on the couch, Rose was ready to spend the rest of the night playing video games with Daddy.  Little stinker.  She wasn't feeling good, but she really just wanted to have a night alone with Mommy & Daddy.

 

I guess you can't get too upset at your plans going down the drain when your child just wants time alone with you.  Warms my heart to no end.

 

This week we're going to attempt another shot at sending both girls off to their grandparents...wish us luck!

Battling The Sickies Once Again

 

Once again my kiddles are off track...and once again I am dealing with some form of sickness!  WHY?! Why does this always have to be the case their first week out of school?  No matter what precautions I take it seems that they pick-up something that kicks in somewhere between Saturday - Tuesday.  Well, yesterday was the "kick-in" day in our household...and it me too! 

 

And This Mommy Is WORN OUT!

 

I guess I can't really blame the school this time...although it sure makes it easy. *hehe*  The weather here in Reno has been more schizophrenic than usual. (and that's saying a lot)  We've had times in the past 7 days where our weather has been anywhere from a high of 22 to 55 and lows from the mid 20's to the teens.

 

There's a huge part of me that just aches for the weather of Southern California...and yet there is something that I just absolutely love about seeing snow dusted mountains as I do my errands around town.  I guess I am just destined to be torn between my old roots and the new ones I've planted.

 

 

How do I battle all that comes with weather that can't make up it's mind?  I go through a ton of Emergen-C (for my hubby & me), Emergen-C Kidz (for the kiddles), clover honey, stabilized oxygen drops and Echinacea tea.  Those items are my artillery in the battle of colds, sinus problems and sore throats. For sore throats I also add salt water gargling into the mix...it tastes awful, but it really has an amazing healing effect. 

Oh yeah, and then there is always chicken noodle soup.  I don't know what it is about it, but it's still a go-to when our house is hit with stuffed noses & coughs.

 

Hopefully your family won't be needing any of this during this winter, but if they do it is fortunately very easy to get your hands on each of those items. Stores like Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shop, CVS and even Target or Walmart carry them. (stabilized oxygen can be found at Whole Food and The Vitamin Shop)

 

Do you have old family recipes that you rely on when sickness rears it's nasty head at your family?  I love picking up tips from others on how to naturally fight back...please share! 

 

 

Happy Birthday To My Love

Today is my Charming's birthday!  I am blessed to have him in my life...a wonderful, loving husband and terrific father to our two little girls. 

 

When I think about all of the times that he was a target of death, meaning that there have been plenty of near death moments in his life, and how easily we could have never had the opportunity to meet, I know that all of the years that my mother was praying for the man that I would one day marry were not in vain. 

 

She started praying for him the day that I was born, literally.  From that day on her prayers battled cars & buses (they hit him), gangs attempting to take him down for wearing the wrong color on the wrong block (he was never in one), being blown off the side of the ship he served on in the Navy, being soaked in fuel and having a helicopter explode right after closing a door behind him (also while serving in the Navy), drinking himself into a coma (while in the Navy) and being diagnosed with diabetes when his sugar levels rose dangerously high right after we were married...and there's more I haven't even listed!

 

He may be a little rough around the edges, not interested in the cultural things that I am (good luck on ever getting him to an opera without being bound and gagged), but he's got a heart that could never be replaced.  He's the rough neighborhood kid and I'm the country loving beach girl...what a pair we are!  And what a mix our children are ~ Aztec/Conquistador & Viking. 

 

Charming's main interests these days are firearms and the military, mine are the arts and baking.  And our girls are somewhere in between. We may be an odd pair, one that no one would have ever placed together, but we're a great balance for each other.

He's my rock when I fall apart.

He's the comic that pulls me out of sorrow into laughter.

He's the encouragement I need when I don't think I can finish the mission.

The dating site that we met on way back in '98 may have only matched us at 24%, but perhaps that is what keeps life interesting.  We're opposites in so many areas, but have so much common ground that it's almost scary.  Most of the time we can read each other's mind and say exactly what the other is thinking.   Really, it catches us off guard quite a bit and kinda bewilders those around us.

I love my Tony, and there is no one in the world I could ever see making my way through life with.   And no better father to my crazy little girls.

Happy Birthday My Love!  May God bless you in all you do and cause you to dream big dreams...and fulfill them!  There is still so much He has in store for  you...and I can't wait to experience it with you.

Dreamy Bedrooms For Inspiration

For the past 14 years I have spent my time drafting house plans...and fine tuning the plans I have for my dream house one day.  So it's only natural that I pick up every magazine and visit multiple websites that feature gorgeous houses. The beauty that I find draws me in and causes my day dreams to take flight.

 

Pictures call out to me...begging me to make changes to my own space.  And I want to...I just need the money to allow me to make the changes I dream of. (And to really complete it all I need to get out of this apartment and into a house.)

 

This weekend I got sucked into the world of bedrooms. It's a beautiful world with so many possibilities. Luxury and elegance is what tends to catch my attention. I love creams, browns, deep blues and burgundy and very rich, soothing hues.

 

Am I the only one that dreams of changing her bedroom into a showstopper?  I can't be.  There is too many options out there for me to decide though...I'm eclectic and blame it all on my artistic heritage. Both sides of my family are piled sky-high with artists and musicians.

Here are some of the gorgeous bedrooms that I would LOVE to have in place of the little one in my apartment.  Talk about some great inspirational design. Here's to dreaming!

This is the most brilliant use of bunk beds I have ever seen! I love this!!
 

 

For my youngest daughter this would be a perfect room.  She loves polka-dots and is extremely whimsical and creative.

 

 

 

 

 

Poolside usually equates to something that is highly desired...but this would not be a good layout for me.  I'd end up falling in for an unexpected dip in the middle of the night.