Girl Inside My Head

"...I have issues?"

2012-01-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

It was a typical trip to the grocery store.
Madigan was whining loudly, asking to be taken out of the cart and then put back in and then out again.
I continued to grab the things I needed as quickly as possible while watching her from the corner of my eye.
Every now and then I would catch her attempting to stand up and climb from the cart herself while demanding this or that from the store shelves.
Occasionally she would let out a high pitched screech just in case there were a few people in the store who had yet to notice us.
James was trying to tell me about a thought he had just had but I was ignoring him while I wrestled with the little beast.
I could tell he was beginning to melt down.
I just wanted to get the last few things on my list and high tail it out of Vons before anyone I knew saw us.

He was wringing his hands.
"James, we can talk about this when we are done, okay?"
"But, but, I neeeeed to tell you this right now!"
His voice was quivering and getting louder, and I could see his legs begin to twitch as he bounced up and down with his long surfer-like hair bouncing along with him.
"I know sweetie, I know, but...Madigan get down from there before you knock all those boxes down!"
"Mom, please listen!"
His voice was projecting down the aisle and a woman with three quiet children turned and gave me one of those, what a brat kind of looks.
"James, please stop," I whispered pleadingly.
"People are going to think you are crazy. They don't know you just have issues."
"What do you mean I have issues?"

This scene occurred about two months ago and I realize it was not one of my finest moments as a parent.
But it was typical of our outings.
James had always been an anxious child and as he grew we accepted that his mini meltdowns were going to be a part of our lives.
I remember taking him to Disneyland when he was three.
We took him straight to the Casey Junior train.
He had seen the Dumbo movie probably thirty times and we knew he would love to ride the train just like in the movie.
But he was not excited.
He was not even indifferent.
What he was was frightened beyond comprehension about getting on that train.
While families with children smaller than my son passed us by in line our son freaked out, crying and crying about not wanting to ride the train.
Why was he so scared?
What was this really about?

We always thought he might have ADHD.
Or rather we tried to ignore the signs that he could have it.
But since I have ADHD and it runs like a raging wild fire through Kristjan's family, we kind of wondered which of our kids would be cursed with it as well.
James has always had a difficult time with transitions, had trouble listening and following directions, avoided eye contact, talked nonstop and while moving constantly, got overwhelmed with sounds, smells, and textures, and was extremely emotionally reactive.
I knew these symptoms to be possible ADHD with possible sensory dysfunction.
That I knew how to handle.
But there were many things he did which we could not label.

He was always a cautious child.
At Chuck E Cheese he would avoid the climbing structure until he was almost five.
He feared swings, wasn't a huge fan of slides, and didn't like crowded places.
While most kids looked forward to fair and amusement park rides the mention of any such thing would send him into a panic.
As he got older his fears grew faster than we could understand.
He feared being alone in his room at night which we attributed to just being young.
But when he was afraid to be in his room alone during the day we began to wonder what could really be the cause.
Then he didn't want to go from one room to another without someone by his side.

About six months ago he became obsessed with always doing the right thing. He felt the need to confess to us about any lie he had ever told anyone and he was constantly asking me if Jesus would forgive him for telling a white lie. This was all coming from a kid who didn't even really know how to be untruthful.
Then one day when Kristjan was spraying insect spray in the house James insisted he got the chemicals in his mouth, despite being out of the room when he was spraying.
And so began his obsession with contamination.

Last month we moved into a new house and he began washing his hands repeatedly throughout the day. And if he touched something in the house he had to come check with me to see if it was okay. Within a week of moving in he was asking me hundreds of times per day if it was okay that he touched the wall, the staircase, his sister's shoe, and on and on.
One day I broke down and began crying when he had come into the room twenty times within five minutes to be reassured.
He cried too.
That day we called Kaiser and we were given an appointment the next day to see a psychologist.
Then we saw a psychiatrist.
They diagnosed James with ADHD, OCD, and possible sensory integration dysfunction.
Finally we had our answer. It was nothing that I wanted to hear but we needed to hear it.

He was put on medication to deal first with the OCD. From what the doctors said and from everything I have read, the medication to treat ADHD can make OCD symptoms even more severe.
That was two weeks ago. SSRI medications take several weeks to build up in the system so we haven't seen much change in his anxiety.
But during that time I have been researching OCD like crazy and have learned more from the parents in online forums than from the doctors we have seen.
I learned that James had made me a part of his ritual of reassurance and that he would only get worse if I continued to reassure him. He had meltdowns when I had tried to ignore him before or when I had not listened to him fully but I decided if he was going to improve then I was going to have to let him experience the anxiety.
I sat him down and explained that I would no longer be answering him when he came to me for reassurance.
We discussed how nothing would happen if he did not tell me something and that it was only his mind tricking him.
He actually handled it really well and even though he tried to gain reassurance in other ways he has almost completely let go of that compulsion.
He has added some other minor rituals and he had a major meltdown in Walmart last week but overall he is really trying to take control and face his anxiety head on which I hear is really necessary if he is going to overcome it.
Unfortunately the medication for OCD has made his ADHD worse, a lot worse. He now literally talks nonstop, from the moment he wakes up, and has been having a really difficult time going to sleep. Being with him all day, every day has been trying on me and I often go into another room to silently scream. I know he can't help it and I know we need to conquer the OCD first but it is tough. I find myself praying often for the hours to pass quickly.
As parents we worry constantly about our children but with all of this comes even more worry.
I am worried that we will not be able to find a right balance of medication to help with both his ADHD and OCD.
I am worried that when life gets tougher as he gets older that he will be taken over by the OCD and he will be unable to function without compulsions.
I worry that his life will always be a struggle.
It's not fair but I try to remind myself it can always be worse.
He is a wonderful child who is creative, funny, and very loving and he is physically healthy.
His therapist said he seems like a tortured little boy.
As sad as that makes me feel to hear it, I agree.
But she is hopeful that one day he can enjoy life like any child should, excited about the world around him instead of fearful of everything.
I hope she is right.

Explaining Gay Rights to the Chronically Confused

2011-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

The house, witness to numerous tales

2011-07-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I was seriously freaking out about the army of ants that were slowly marching into three rooms of our home.
We only have nine rooms so that's a third of the house invaded by the little tormentors. This is not the first time we have seen them and I am sure it won't be the last, despite trying to fill every crack in our baseboards with caulking.
I was wondering if it had been such a good idea to buy a house almost 40 years old at the time, that had been cut into two pieces and then driven up a series of winding roads to find its final resting place, in the middle of the foothills, at the bottom of a hill that backs up to the Sierra National Forest.
Good idea?
Maybe not.
But we did, and despite all the critters I love it. We all love it.
At times I imagine all this house has seen. We don't know where it was located before it was moved here but I imagine all the people who lived and passed through the house before it became ours. I think one might still be here.
And when I look around at all the little corners of our home, with our things filling every room, the kids running amok, and all the work my husband has done outside to make it ours, I appreciate it more.
Take a look around.

We had a problem with gophers eating almost everything we were planting in our garden so we decided to try container gardening. Seems silly when you are on five acres but no more gophers!
A while back I read this saying supposedly coined during the Great Depression,
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
We try to live like that.
So instead of buying a bunch of wood to make new containers we reused what we could find.
The old bathtub we found at a yard sale for free:

The cabinets that once hung on the walls of our kitchen;

We even gave the kids their own container garden in an old Little Tikes toddler racing car bed frame:

My son is always either playing with Legos or drawing. He has a few short books he has written. His latest, Cats Are Skinny, is a poetry book inspired by Shel Silverstein's Falling Up.

My daughter is almost always finding some sort of mischief to make. She decided a few days ago that she was ready to be done with diapers. So far, she has had several days without an accident followed by a few accidents daily since, but we are still chugging along. She decided that her bear also needed to be trained:

I love my kitchen and these are two of my favorite things in it. The old coffee pot holds our everyday utensils and I like it because it is well worn, like our home. And me.
The mortar and pestle, or molcajete as I have always known it, belonged to my grandmother.
I miss her.

This hangs on my fridge and it makes me laugh whenever I see it. My son made this for himself to display his favorite magnets. I don't know what is cuter, the Guinness beer magnet that a 7 year old has claimed as his own or how he thinks the apostrophe on the end of his name is actually the word is.

Time for learning! This abacus sits in the room that is the future "classroom" of Creekside Country Day School. Every time I see it I am reminded to get moving on figuring out our homeschool plan for the fall and to organize the room where we will be doing our version of ~~schooling~~ learning at home.

Do you ever feel like you are being watched?

I get that feeling a lot. Sometimes when the kids are asleep and my husband is at work I hear noises or strange things happen, like the time a picture fell from a shelf it had been sitting on for months and months, with no one near it. Or the time it happened again and almost flew several feet from where it should have landed had it just been knocked off. (Believe me, I did a crime scene recreation. It landed no where near the spot it should have.) Or the countless times I have felt something in the room with me. Or the time a few nights ago, I went into my kids room (they were in my bed, of course) and a single candle was lit. Not a candle, candle. A flameless candle. I had been in the room just an hour before to get my daughter's stuffed dog and it was pitch black. So if I didn't turn it on, who did?
Not that I believe in ghosts but it's still weird.
And during the daytime, I KNOW I am being watched.

She watches until I am gone so she can cause her mischief! Not today little girl.

And this is a corner of my favorite and newest room. Our screened porch, which will be giving up its current confused identity to become our art room this fall, is so relaxing and will make a great space to put up an easel. I am leaving the big comfy chair for reading and the table for working on various art projects. Because even if the schools don't feel that art is important, I do!

The cat has discovered my big comfy chair!
The sign says it all, no?

This is not a joke.

2011-06-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

You have heard the saying, truth is stranger than fiction, right?

Well here's your proof.

Chick-fil-A is having a Cow Appreciation Day on July 8th.

The words surrounding the photo on the left reads, dress head to toe, get a free meal.

Really? Does someone love Chick-fil-A that much that they would dress up,

head to toe, LIKE A COW,

just to get a free meal?

I have had Chick-fil-A only once and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed.

Maybe it is because I waited until I arrived home, forty minutes away, to eat the food, but it kinda made me feel a little sick.

I can imagine how this is going to play out in office buildings around the country.

The time, 12:00pm.

Lunch hour.

Bob has been dreaming of this day for the past two weeks.

Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch, he thinks to himself.

Bob shuts off the computer in his cubicle and begins to don his cow costume,

just at Ted rounds the corner.

"Hey Bob, did you want to go grab some luuuuunch, whoa!!!! What the HELL are you doing Bob?"

I can imagine the only people who will really benefit from this ridiculous promotion are the bored patrons at Chick-fil-A who had no clue it was dress like a cow day.

I know what I am doing on the 8th of July!

What about you?

Project 143?

2011-06-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. I said I was going to be dedicated to my blog this time and what happened?
It all fell apart a month ago.
I think I might have commitment issues.

That or the life I have been documenting sort of took precedent over blogging about it.

I would love to share everything that I am dealing with right now, and wow, there is a lot.
But in order to protect the innocent and/or unsuspecting players in my life, I think I will keep some things where they belong, in my own thoughts.

It could also be that I am extremely lazy and cooking, cleaning, and caring for two somewhat feral children is about all I can fit on my plate right now.

Maybe I need a vacation.

Or maybe I just have a short attention span.

Who knows.

I do miss it.

Even if I only blog about a tenth of the stuff floating around in my head, I feel better.

I think I might need to write to feel whole even.

I know that probably sounds crazy to some people.
Looking back I realize that I have been writing at least a few paragraphs of something every few days, since I was eight years old.
That's a lot of rambling.

I think it might be how artists feel when they don't paint or draw for a time.

As trivial as what I am writing about appears the process of writing anything at all is what I crave.

I actually have been feeling less whole since I stopped writing and I have been visiting my blog like a tourist visits their favorite city.

I keep waiting to be inspired but I think I am going about it all wrong.

I have pigeonholed myself into this neat little blog that is not really me.

I am not neat and perfect and organized and writing that way feels contrived.

And really, do people actually care if I bought five boxes of cereal for $2?

I have been boring myself.

Honestly, I don't need any more bullshit in my life so I am dropping my Project 365.

I am going to recommit to writing here whether or not anyone reads it but me.

My writing has really always been about me and for me so I am going to stick to that and see where it leads me.
Hopefully, I can be honest with myself.

I might post every day or I might only post once a month.
But there's no telling what could come out of my head.

Follow at your own risk.

Project 365- Day 143

2011-05-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

I remember the days of playing underneath furniture.
With six people and only three bedrooms, I always shared a room with someone; a sister, my grandmother, my sister and my grandmother.
There was never enough space in our small houses so under the furniture I went.
Playing under the furniture felt like a whole new world to discover.
My dolls and stuffed animals and I had great adventures under a huge drafting table my parents used to have. I traveled the world and back without ever leaving our family room.
Like mother, like daughter.

Project 365- Day 142

2011-05-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

This little monkey is going to be three in just seven short weeks!
I am stunned at how fast it has all flown by. One day she was a tiny baby cooing in my arms and the next she was walking around the house in plastic heels and a tutu saying, "Where's my purse mommy?"
Huh?
It seems like the older I get the faster the days go by.

I am trying to live in the moment and enjoy both of my kids and I really do enjoy being with them. But part of me also feels like we are not totally complete.
Does every mom feel this way?
I have known my husband since I was sixteen.
But it was not God's plan for us to be together until later in life.
I don't think He expected me to spend most of my 20s getting my party on, but maybe I did have some growing up to do and certainly quite a bit of soul searching.
If we had gotten married much sooner I honestly think we would have been like the Duggars, only an immature, loud and sarcastic version of them.
This little girl would probably be child number fourteen instead of number two.
I began babysitting when was 13 because I loved being around children of all ages and I remember telling my mom that I wanted to have lots and lots of kids when I grew up.
I just didn't realize that it would take me until my thirties to grow up.
My husband had six natural kids in his family and a whole bunch of foster kids who became just like natural kids so he was used a large family and he could have easily adjusted to the idea.
But he was nervous every time I mentioned having each of our two children, mainly because he worried something might be wrong with one of them.
He personally counted each of the kids toes and fingers when they were born.
He is our resident worry wart.
No.
It is good we have the number of kids we have.
It is just the right amount of crazy for us.
But maybe one more would not hurt.
Right?

Project 365- Day 141

2011-05-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

Our butterflies hatched! We released 8 of our 10 Painted Lady butterflies this afternoon in our backyard. We will release the last two tomorrow. It was a long process but it was very cool for the kids to see them grow from teeny tiny caterpillars to huge butterflies!

Project 365- Day 140

2011-05-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday our little family waited around all morning for the world to end. And by waiting around I mean I slept in and the big guy played with the kids.
When it was obvious that nothing was going to happen and he had run out of ways to entertain the little people we decided to head into the city to run some errands and celebrate our still being around with a half dozen cupcakes from a local bakery. I had purchased a Groupon from them back in January when I had credit I needed to use.

We split each cupcake into four pieces and did a cupcake tasting to see if a local bakery measured up against my Maddycakes. Sadly, we were halfway through our tasting before I remembered to take the photo. Blame it on the newly prescribed Dopamax. (The real name is Topamax, given to me by my doctor to treat my migraines. I call it Dopamax and it is also known as Stupamax, for obvious reasons. I once walked around my house cursing satan for hiding my remote control while holding it in my hand the last time I was on this medication. But it almost totally eliminates my migraines so...)
The cupcakes we got in our half dozen were Chocolate Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate, Vanilla, Oreo, and Red Velvet.
The Chocolate Strawberry was moist but the only thing that tasted like strawberry was the garnish. I think if you are going to put the word "strawberry" in your name then you should at least put some in your cupcake too. The banana was really dry and way too muffin-y. The frosting was extremely sweet. Much too sweet for my sensitive taste buds. The chocolate cupcake was nothing special and slightly burned. Burned cupcakes are never okay. The Oreo was also nothing special. The red velvet was dry and the cream cheese frosting was just okay.
The vanilla cupcake was very good.
The cupcake itself was moist and the frosting was not overly sweet and light.
It was a perfect combo of flavors.
If I had purchased an entire half dozen of the vanilla cupcakes I would have been a happy camper.
I wonder if I should have been a little more adventurous and tried the lemon or carrot cupcake?
I just knew my kids would not like those so why bother trying them?
It is a cute little store and the guy working behind the counter was friendly and courteous.
I can see why they are successful, despite not having cupcakes that taste like Sprinkles cupcakes.
But I think I will stick to eating my own cupcakes from now on!

Project 365- Day 139

2011-05-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

I was so busy preparing for the end of the world that I completely forgot to take any pictures on Friday.
So here's one of my favorite photos from May 2009.
My two babies the day the big kid graduated from preschool.

Project 365- Day 138

2011-05-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite deal of the week!
I have been hanging on to six or seven Nivea coupons for weeks now.
I got a bunch of the lip balms about a month ago at Rite Aid but I had some coupons left over after the sale had ended.
I saw these at Vons a few days ago.
They had been on sale for 99 cents each, down from $4 or $5 a piece (I don't remember exactly but I figure that amount is right since they have them on sale for $3 at CVS.)
I knew I was going back into town today so I remembered to bring my coupons, just days before they are set to expire.

The coupons were $2 off of 2 so all I paid was tax!

Project 365- Day 137

2011-05-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

I found out recently that the little girl likes doing puzzles as much as her brother does. Unfortunately she is not as good as him at keeping all the pieces together. She already lost several pieces to her beloved Disney Fairies puzzle and yesterday we discovered that somehow she had misplaced Iowa. Fortunately the wee one is resourceful. She located the lid to an empty coffee can and placed it over the missing puzzle piece. She said, "There ya go mommy." Sorry Iowa, but it looks like you are not needed.

Project 365- Day 136

2011-05-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

I love these little people and I am delighted whenever I see them playing so nicely together.

Of course like all siblings it comes in spurts so I try to relish it when I see it because you never know for how long it will last.

Project 365- Day 135

2011-05-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing "Guess what I am" a game similar to charades that the big guy taught them. The baby girl always does the same thing, and she looks nothing like what she says she is.
So, what are they?

Give up?
Dolphins.
Doesn't look like it, does it?
The funny thing is that the tiny tot does dolphin every time and she sounds so excited when you guess right.
I wish I were that easy to entertain!
(And yes, I am aware that the baby is wearing the same sweatshirt as the last post. It was in fact the day after and I had washed the sweatshirt the evening before. She loves wearing it right now so you should plan on seeing it a lot. She does have other sweatshirts but none other with a pink and purple butterfly.)

Project 365- Day 134

2011-05-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, watching the big guy read a Bible story to the little people.
The baby's eyes got big when he was explaining how Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
She's still talking about it, two days later.

Project 365- Day 133

2011-05-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Groupon in our area had a deal for a local thrift store, $7 for $15 worth of stuff.
I thought, how thrifty do you have to be to buy a coupon for a thrift store?
I guess as thrifty as me because I bought two!
We were going to be close to town on Saturday anyway for the boy's baseball wrap up party, so we thought we would head into the big city for errands.
I love thrift stores. I bought most of my high school wardrobe there and even though the prices have gone way up (Remember the good 'ol days of $2 for a bag full of vintage clothing?) they still have some great bargains if you take the time to look.
The kids were hungry so we didn't spend a lot of time looking but I did find a book on questions kids ask about God. Yes my seven year old is already asking for me to explain how Jesus and God are two but the same person and you better believe I am holding off on bringing the Holy Spirit into the discussion. I'm a mom not a theologian!
He also wants to know who created God, why there is evil, and how can Jesus protect me from bad things if he is so tiny that he fits in my heart. I love the tiny Jesus question. But man, this kids wants all the answers and they sure as heck better make good sense! This book is geared towards high school students and I found most of the answers to his questions. Except for the tiny Jesus dilemma.
I also found a fabulous book, written by local teachers who are part of the San Joaquin Valley Writing Project, on how to teach vocabulary to kids from kindergarten through high school. Since we are 97% sure (I like to keep my options open) we are home schooling beginning next year I am on the hunt for any inexpensive or free books on ways to teach children the important stuff.
I read the first few pages of the book and for 75 cents it is going to be an extremely affordable tool and the best part is that it gives you innovative ways to teach vocab instead of the traditional methods.
I was also lucky enough to locate two things that I have on my Amazon.com wish list, a food processor and a yogurt maker. I found this exact food processor on Ebay listed for as much as $45 and the exact yogurt maker was listed for $35. I bought all the items in the photo, plus my son bought a book (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Seriously? He's seven. Who is this kid?) and a couple of small toys, all for $7.
Can you believe it? The food processor was missing the pusher thingy but I found it on Ebay for $5 and the yogurt maker is one cup short but I also saw it on Ebay. The maker gives you a quart of yogurt each time so it will be just short of that until I feel like spending the $4 to buy it.
If I had more time I am sure I would have found many more things but fortunately I have that second Groupon to use next time we are in town.

Project 365- Day 132

2011-05-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

I thought Friday was National Chocolate Chip Day. (Turns out I was wrong and it was actually on Sunday, May 15th.)
But I was craving chocolate chip cookies on Friday anyway so it all worked out.
The tiny tot helped me in the kitchen as usual.
We used only the finest Tollhouse morsels because everyone knows that the best things are from Tollhouse, right?
And we got them on sale so they were cheaper than generic. Bonus!

Too bad these don't last long in this house.

Project 365- Day 131

2011-05-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

Less than a week after I ordered my vanilla beans they arrived! I got my cheap bottle of vodka and my glass jar and began cutting open the beans.
I am not sure how I drank quite as much vodka as I did in my twenties because just the smell of this alcohol made me a little nauseous. And believe me it was not because this bottle was so cheap. I was not drinking the good stuff back then either. I guess it's a good thing that I rarely drink.

Anyway, I did not chop the beans. I just made a slit down the length of each one, leaving about 1/2 inch at the bottom. I placed 40 of them into my big jar, poured in all the vodka (while plugging my nose), put the lid on, and then gave it a good shake.

I put the jar in the back of a dark closet where I store all my baking junk and that was that.
From all the different versions I read, the minimum amount of time before using the extract should be no less than two months, but some people say up to 6 months for really nice flavor.
I don't think I go through that much extract in a year, (although I did make cookies, cupcakes, and pancakes this week and the bottle I bought less than 2 weeks ago is almost empty)the good news is that extract does not go bad! Ever!
I can continue to use this and as the liquid goes down I can throw in some more vodka.
This can be done with any liquor and from what I understand it does not matter whether it is top of the line or the cheap stuff. It is all good.
And I still have a ton, and I mean a ton of beans left over. I plan on putting some in sugar to make vanilla sugar and I guess I should make some vanilla bean cupcakes too!
I bought my vanilla from Vanilla Products on Ebay and I followed the extract making directions from one of my favorite blogs, Heavenly Homemakers. If you love making things, cooking and baking from scratch, then you need to check out her blog!

Project 365- Day 130

2011-05-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

The tiny terrorist and I paid a visit to a couple of our most favorite people!

And gosh, the time it quickly goes.
Here they are two years ago.

Project 365- Day 129

2011-05-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I can go more than a few days without the urge to bake and today I just had to make something. I had more strawberries so I made Sprinkles strawberry cupcakes. I also made their strawberry frosting. I have never had a Sprinkles cupcake but mine were so good! The pickiest kid in the world was even begging for more than one after telling me he did not like strawberries anymore and he especially did not like strawberry frosting.
As always, the little girl helped me in the kitchen. I can't keep her out!
She now has two tiny tot sized aprons and I won't be surprised if she is making whole meals by herself by the time she is five.
In two more months she will be three and she is looking less like a toddler every day.

Project 365- Day 128

2011-05-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I totally forgot to take a self portrait last month. Boo! And yes I actually have to remind myself to take them since I am always the one taking the photos of everyone else.
Here's me and my little girly in the Swagger Wagon this morning. Not too bad for both of us just having rolled out of bed and into the car for the boy's morning drop off.
By the way, this little girl who can beat up her older brother, often refuses to wear shoes outside (and if you have seen the wild jungle we live in you would know that's never a good idea), loves to play in the mud and dirt, hugs all of our animals including the stinky goats, and basically could not possibly be anymore tomboyish if she tried let me know today what she wants to be when she grows up. A princess. She wants to be a princess. Can you believe it?

Project 365- Day 127

2011-05-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today was Mother's Day.
And I don't want to make anyone jealous but I think I might just have the best kids in the world.
They both gave me presents that made me cry.
My sweet little baby girl picked this out for mommy.

And my darling boy made me this.

Now, the troll? gnome? is a little scary to look at. I admit I won't be keeping him on my bedside table for fear he will be watching me sleep, waiting to make his attack. But I cried when she gave it to me. It reminds me of how innocent she is and even though she is growing like a weed she is still so little. I think the toddler/preschool years can be some of the toughest on us parents and also some of the most emotional and rewarding.
I also cried when the boy gave me his drawing. He has been drawing me exactly like that,with a ponytail to the side and no nose, since he was 3. And his words? Wow.I can't imagine how such a little heart can hold so much love but I am completely blessed.

Project 365- Dayzzzzzz 107-126

2011-05-08T00:50:00.000-07:00

Twenty days.
It has been twenty days since I have posted a single photo or word.
I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with a good excuse.
But sadly, I have none.
I used to see a psychologist that was very fascinated with how people perceive the passage of time. He explained to me that the world was mostly made up of three types of people. One lives in the past, always looking back at what was and what they should of or could have done. Another lives mostly in the present, thinking about the here and now and never reflecting. A third type lives in the future, things will be better when I do such and such.
Then there is a fourth type.
This type is not common.
This type lives outside of time.
An hour can seem to pass as slow as a week or a month can fly by without even realizing it.
They cannot grasp why or how they always seem to be running behind.
And this type very seldom wear watches.
It is as if time means nothing to them.
Guess which type he pegged me to be?

Now it seems I need to play catch up.
Even though I haven't been posting any I have still been taking photographs daily.
Well, except for a few days where apparently time got away from me once again.
For those handful of days I will post a photo of the same day, just in another year.
Hey, it still shows the passage of time, maybe even more blatantly.
So here goes, the past almost month of my life in one long pictorial.

Day 107
Big brother teaches little sis how to break dance.

Day 108
Dinner. Shrimp tempura roll, miso soup, and sunomono. Yes, fried shrimp is not the healthiest choice but this was a vacation I was on so...

Day 109
The little girl and her similarly wild cousin, sporting the same forced smile.

Day 110
That's better.

Day 111
Okay you see this was one of those days where my head was in the clouds or something. This photo is from four years ago. What's the first thing one does when one moves to the country (after purchasing the required cowboy hats)? Well you buy mini farm animals of course!

Day 112
This is pretty self explanatory.

Day 113
Headed off to Grandma and Grandpa Herrick's to hunt for Easter eggs with the cousins!

Day 114
Picked up a flat of delicious strawberries in Gilroy. The big guy washed and hulled all of these so I could freeze them. I make smoothies a lot especially during the summer. It is a great way to sneak in things my son needs but won't eat, like veggies and protein powder. Shhh.

Day 115
Discovered that the big guy had also bought strawberries so I used some of those to make a strawberry pie, almost from scratch. I don't do homemade pie crusts. They taste good, but boy are they ugly.

Day 116
After patiently waiting for two years watching his friends rake in the dough, the boy came home from school with a wiggly tooth. Seven years old and it finally happened for him. I figured it would be wise to take a snapshot of his perfect smile before it changed forever.

Day 117
It took me less than a minute to go from the bathroom to the kitchen, grab my sunglasses and car keys and walk to the door. In that minute she got a hold of my mascara. Thankfully it was not waterproof so I had her cleaned up and out the door for the morning school drop off rush just as quickly. Naughty girl 0. Tired Mom 1.

Day 118
While searching on craigslist for more mini farm animals I spotted a friend's email address in an ad. She was trying to re-home some very adorable kittens. What luck. We stopped by after school and picked up two. Meet Spot, the boy's kitten, and Nemo, the little girl's new friend. They are adorable, full of energy, and the kids are in love. Thanks T!

Day 119
The boy and I went into town to buy groceries. The big guy stayed home to do some yard work and watch the little girl so I didn't have to lug her around to several stores. This is how she was dressed when I got home. All aboard!

Day 120
The boy had one of his cousins over for a play date. They played in the sprinklers and ended up cold so to the hot tub they all went. And yes, that is the same sucker from the day before. Thank you Dollar Tree candy, cheap and long lasting.

Day 121
The little girl and I went to the zoo with my sister in law and her girls that morning. Her favorite animals at the zoo are the elephants so while everyone else was checking out the monkeys we visited with the elephants. She insisted on having her picture taken on this elephant as well. Sorry that it's so grainy. This was taken on my Blackberry.

Day 122
Yes, no photo this day either. This picture is from seven years ago. My two favorite bald guys, when the smaller guy was almost one month old. A few days after this photo I was in Stanford Children's Hospital with the little guy having surgery to treat his pyloric stenosis. Those were some pretty scary times and the big guy had to stay behind. I remember calling him the second he was safely out of surgery and hearing his whole academy class cheer when he relayed the message that the baby was fine. I once read a quote from Elizabeth Stone that said, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." That was never more real for me than in that week.

Day 123
Cookie batter tester extraordinaire!

Day 124
Okay, perhaps I should have waited a day to get a less gory looking photo, but he had just lost his first tooth. He was so very excited. Another milestone checked off the list.

Day 125
This is what I see as I drive down our road every morning. I am trying to savor all the beauty of the green grass and wildflowers because the hills are already turning brown as the valley heat makes it's yearly appearance.

Day 126
Today was the start of Mother's Day weekend. Oh no, it is not just a day any more. The big guy took the tiny terrorists into town this morning so I could have peace and quiet. It was lovely.
I made some homemade bread and while organizing my kitchen cupboard I got the urge to research how to make homemade vanilla. I had read it was easy and that it just took time. I found the biggest jar I could find in my house, an oversized pickle jar, no doubt purchased at Costco, the land of abnormally large condiments. I washed it out and then ordered some vanilla beans from Ebay. Yes, they even have vanilla beans. The big guy picked up a big bottle of Vodka for me and now I just have to wait for my beans to arrive. All you do is add the vodka (or any other alcohol; gin, rum, whiskey)to your large jar, make a small slice in about 20-30 vanilla beans, drop them into the alcohol, put the lid on, and find a cool dark place for them to sit for the next 2 months. I have heard 1-2 months is fine but some folks recommend up to 6 months for the best vanilla extract. I am really looking forward to it. I spend at the very least $3 on that small 2 ounce bottle of generic (not imitation) vanilla extract. That's $1.50 per ounce minimum. And I go through 2 bottle of that a month, sometimes 3. With my homemade extract the total cost for 80 ounces will be $26.50 or 33 cents per ounce! Saves a ton of money and it tastes better? Who knew. But if you bake a lot then you need to make your own extract. I also discovered that most store bought vanilla extracts add corn syrup to their mix! Corn syrup? Don't we get enough of that already?

Project 365- Day 106

2011-04-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

It was gorgeous today!
The kids went out to play and I joined them for a bit.
I was only outside for a few minutes when I heard a meow.
The dog started freaking out and it was then that I realized the cat was on the roof again.
Our cat, whose name happens to be Cat, is brilliant.
He used to be an inside/outside cat but one day he just sort of decided to stay outside.

He became semi-feral.
Not really feral as much as mildly wild, no longer fully domestic.
He hunts every moving thing, scales tall trees like nothing I have ever seen, but then comes up to you meowing and purring.
He lets you pet him but then will playfully nip at your hand like he is unsure whether to trust you or not.
It is the strangest thing to see him so friendly with us and then so instinctual, almost primal when he is hopping from the rooftop to a tree and then back onto the ground to run.
I think Cat especially loves to go on the roof because he can taunt the dog who otherwise torments him when he is trying to pay us a visit.
He is the best cat we have ever had the pleasure of semi-owning.
I wish he would come and stay inside with us but he seems to be happiest out in nature.

Project 365- Day 105

2011-04-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

I realize everyone must be sick of hearing about my husband.
If you are then go ahead and stop reading here because you won't like what you are about to read.
And I feel like I need to give credit to him for being the incredible person he is.
I surely don't deserve it.
Here is how Saturday went.
He got called into forced overtime for the night.
And it was for graveyard shift, his least favorite for many reasons.
Instead of getting a full day of sleep, he took the big kid to his t-ball game and brought along his ~~trouble making~~ cheerful daughter to watch her brother even though he knew that she would be hitting him, running off, and basically not listening the entire time.
Just look at her in this picture.
She looks like trouble, doesn't she?

After the game, he drove farther into town to get some coupon deals that I had to get by the end of the day.
Then he dropped by his sister's house to see if she needed help moving and to give me a longer break.
Once he came home with the kids several hours later, instead of hitting the sack for a few extra hours of sleep, he washed the dishes.
And there were a lot!
He finally went to bed knowing he would only be getting about 3 hours of sleep.
Not enough time for his body to adjust to being up all night.
He amazes me.
Of course not to be topped I am also giving him a break by taking the kids to visit my family for six days this week.
Six days.
Two four plus hour car rides with the little angels.
That right there is gift enough.
But then he also gets his three days off to enjoy visiting his family and friends.
Hmm.
I think I do deserve him!

Project 365- Day 104

2011-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later.
I went a whole day without taking a single picture.
I know.
It's odd.
But it happened.
Therefore I have no photo for day 104.
I was just going to skip the day but I decided, in honor of my "time passes quickly" theme, I could post a photo from exactly one year ago today.
Who is this little peanut, just learning how to swing at 21 months of age?
It seems like so long ago.

"I never think of the future - it comes soon enough."

~Albert Einstein

Project 365- Day 103

2011-04-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about the weather getting warmer, besides hearing a thousand chirping crickets serenade us, is that the tree frogs come out to play!

If you know me you know I adore the little hoppy things, and tree frogs abound here in the foothills.
It seems this year we are seeing a lot more, maybe because our creek still has a lot of water in it.
Or maybe it is the cooler temps so late in the year.
Whatever the reason, I love it!
This guy looks big but that's just because I zoomed in on him.
He was actually only about one and a half inches long.

Project 365- Day 102

2011-04-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was one of those days. The kind you want to forget. The little girl was so cranky from this cold that does not want to leave her alone and she cried any time I put her down. Somehow, I still managed to get some cooking and cleaning done in my house but the day was filled with tantrums, from her and me.
I hoped it would get better once we picked up the big kid. But of course as I was saying hello to him his teacher flagged me down, yet again, to let me know that he was talking throughout class and that he was distracting other kids. I have heard this so much I almost think they need to set up one of those programmed computer calls that they send out when the schedule changes or there is an important date to inform parents about.
I think it would save us both some time.
I nodded since I have lost count how many times he has been in trouble for talking and said I would speak to him about it. What else can I do? The boy cannot be quiet. Ever.
What I wanted to say was you should thank your lucky stars that he only talks a few times per class. At home he is never quiet. Not even for one moment. From the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed he talks, nonstop. And if he is playing and not talking to me then he is acting out Lego battles, out loud. He has such an endless amount of energy he can't even sit still to read. He has a book he has to read every night for homework and he literally reads it while walking in circles around the coffee table. It is exhausting just to watch him.
The kids began fighting in the car on the way home and continued until it was time for bed. I took this picture because it was the only time they were sitting and getting along.

It lasted for a whole seven minutes before the little one was grabbing the book away from the bigger one.
By eight o'clock, I was so happy they were asleep because I was completely drained, emotionally and physically.
Then I had the whole night to myself.
So I baked.
Until one am.
Anyone else have life long insomnia?
I remember being seven or eight and struggling to sleep, it has been with me that long.
I believe it will end up shortening my life by five years or so.
I used to worry about it but I figure if I make it to 80, that's basically another 40 years for me.
That's a lot.
I made chocolate chip cookies, Italian herb bread, homemade cheez its and wheat thins.
If you had told me ten years ago that to relax I would be baking I would have laughed in your face.
Back then the only way I knew how to de-stress was with a couple of drinks and a smoke or two, or five.
Funny how things change.
I am not sure if baking all hours of the night is much better than the drinking and smoking but at least we had yummy treats the next day!

Project 365- Day 101

2011-04-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have made it to 101 days without forgetting to post a day. Yay me!
Today was colder but sunny so after dropping off the big kid at school (he misses all the fun) we loaded up my sister in law and three of her little ~~devils~~ angels, and we headed to the zoo.
I love going to the zoo on the weekdays. During the winter there are maybe a handful of people there so the kids can run free, and during the warmer months it is still pretty empty but they add in animal shows and live animal interactions as well.
Today we went to check out the bird show. I was expecting it to be an animal teaching show and while we did learn facts about the birds it was more than that. They do not clip wings on their birds and the birds flew over the audience at various times, sometimes flying a couple of feet above your head. It was really cool. I loved seeing the owl, one of my favorite animals, and I thought it would be fun to get a picture of the little girl with him.

I can't tell if she is scared, annoyed, bored, or just tired here.
But the bird is spectacular!

Project 365- Day 100

2011-04-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day! The sun was shining and it was not too chilly outside. The big kid had his cousin over for a visit and I was supposed to be baking all day. But it was too nice outside so the little girl and I ran around in the tall grass, visited with the bunnies, played on the swings, helped the big guy dig up some dirt for planting, and played with the dogs.

There is this little hill behind our house. Basically, it is a mound of dirt with a tree in the middle. It seems to be where the larger hill behind us originally began before they cut back into it to build a pad for the house. I guess they figured it was easier to leave the tree then to just uproot the whole thing.
The little girl climbed this little hill over and over again. I think she was prepping herself to climb the bigger hills behind our house with the big kid, something he loves to do.
She is growing so fast and I love that while she is sitting with her dog, and is covered in dirt, she is wearing a Disney princess sweatshirt and princess snow boots.
The best of both worlds!

Project 365- Day 99

2011-04-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

After having taken a couple of weeks off from couponing, I went to CVS yesterday. Thanks to my husband I got to go alone and spend the quiet time, just me and my coupon binder, in search of great deals.
I had a $5 off of $40 purchase coupon, $10 in extra care bucks, $6 in quarterly rewards, and a $10 gift card I had previously purchased for $2, thanks to one of those daily deal websites.
Here is what I came home with:

All together I bought an 8 pack roll of Bounty paper towels, a 12 roll pack of Charmin, 6 bottles of Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner, 2 Herbal Essence hairsprays, 2 Crest mouthwashes, 4 bottles of Wisk laundry detergent, 2 Oral B toothbrushes, a pack of hair elastics, Cover Girl pressed powder, Cover Girl lip gloss, 3 Dawn dish washing detergents, and 14 Snickers Easter eggs (of which I have already eaten 3!).
My grand total after sales prices but before coupons and rewards was $87.60.
I paid $18.40 out of pocket and I received $18 in ECBs for my next shopping trip! Yay!
I love saving my family money and because of our new shopping habits we have already saved $630 this year alone. This is just my total for CVS, which is where I do most of my household needs shopping. I am guessing it is more like $1000 if you add in savings from the 2 grocery stores I shop at, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.
Not bad at all.

Project 365- Day 98

2011-04-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Friday, on our way home from a trip into town, we saw this little dog, smack dab in the middle of the road, right before we turned onto our dirt road.

She looked scraggly and scared. My husband didn't want anything to do with the little pup but I was worried she would get hit by a car so we brought her home. We gave her a bath and even though she really needs a haircut she looks so much better.
We asked a couple of neighbors and they had never seen her before.
She is really sweet, so patient with our toddler and has yet to bark since she has been here.
She has taken a liking to me and oddly, she looks a lot like my first dog, Muffin, who passed away years ago. The only difference is my dog was about 10 pounds heavier and a little taller. She was also white with a patch of black around one eye and she would nip at you if she didn't know you.
Seeing this little girl makes me miss my first doggie baby.
I hope we are able to find the owners.
I have checked Craigslist and looked around for lost dog signs but I fear she might have been dumped here.
She would not be the first dog to be dumped near our house since we are far out in the country and people seem to think it is better to dump their unwanted dogs out here.
If we don't find her owners we might just adopt her ourselves. She seems to fit with our family and she gets along with our insecure little jack russell/chihuahua mix pretty nicely.

Project 365- Day 97

2011-04-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

We got our caterpillars in the mail today!

Now we watch them eat and wait.

Project 365- Day 96

2011-04-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

I knew I would find another use for all those dollar store clothespins someday!
The little girl loves painting but she only devotes about 18.7 seconds to each one before wanting a fresh sheet of paper and more paint.
I quickly ran out of room on the coffee table to lay them out to dry.
Then I remembered my clothespins.

I found some rope, also a dollar store purchase, and made an impromptu art display.
Now if I could just find a good use for all those wooden craft sticks!

Project 365- Day 95

2011-04-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

I think this is mess number seven of the day.

It's my fault that she trashes my house.
I am a behaviorist after all.
But instead of making her go and pick up each mess, hand over hand if need be, I clean it up myself.
It seems so much easier at the time and ironically, I used to advise parents to not fall into that trap.
It might seem like more work in the beginning but in the long run they will stop destroying your home when they know they will be the ones having to clean it up.
I just have to quit being so lazy about making her listen.
If only she didn't scare me!

Project 365- Day 94

2011-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, more goat photos.
But doesn't it look like they are smiling?

So happy to be resting atop the chicken coop.
Looks like we will need to relocate that!
This is my goat and the big kid's goat, Pony and Donkey.
Yes, we did have another goat named Donkey.
She was Donkey because she was HUGE!
This boy is Donkey because of his ears, according to the big kid.
He also named Pony.
Your guess is as good as mine there.

Project 365- Day 93

2011-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

The little girl and her girl.
They are best friends already.

Project 365- Day 92

2011-04-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect spring day. The sun was shining, the temperature high was 74 degrees, and it was the opening day of baseball for the Sierra Youth League.
I love watching my son play, mostly because it reminds me of how little he really is. But it also reminds me of how much life he has ahead of him.
Sometimes he hits the ball and sometimes he misses. But he keeps on trying and eventually he will learn. Maybe he will be the greatest baseball player ever, or maybe he won't, but either way he loves baseball and for right now, he has the potential to do anything with his life.
I love the promise his future holds.
There are no limits.
No one telling him he can't do this or that.
And even if they did, I doubt he would believe them.
Because we tell him all the time that the only thing that can hold him back in life, is himself.
I think as adults we forget that.
We live through successes but also disappointments and somewhere along the way we stop trusting in our abilities and begin to believe the voices in our head that say, no you can't.
Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is to continue reaching toward our dreams in spite of all our doubt.

Reflecting on all of this makes me think of this song. They played it last year at the opening of the t-ball all stars game. Another mom and I almost lost it seeing our little guys out there on the field.

Project 365- Day 91

2011-04-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

The little girl loves wearing dresses as much as she loves playing in the mud.
Sometimes she wears dresses and plays in mud but that's a whole other story.
She now knows how to climb up into her closet on a stool to get her clothes down so she can dress herself and on this day she chose a dress I bought for her last summer.
She wore it only once then since it is a 3T and it went down almost to her ankles.
Eight months later it fits nicely.

And it is the perfect dress for twirling.

Project 365- Day 90

2011-03-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

I found a finger in the laundry today.

I am used to finding some weird stuff in there.
The big kid usually leaves gum wrappers, those rubber fishing worms, crushed dried leaves, rocks, and tiny Lego guns inside his pants.
And the big guy is notorious for throwing his pants into the laundry pile with latex gloves, traffic citation slips, and bullets forgotten inside the pockets.
But this is the first official finger I have found while loading the washer.
Of course it is not a real finger.
But I screamed like it was.
Once I got over the shock it made me laugh and almost cry to see that faux finger in there.
The big guy turned 35 a year and a half ago.
As a surprise I sent him and his good friend to Las Vegas.
Sin City.
And when a lot of guys would be imagining how to hook up with some show girl, he was at the magic shop finding tricks he could do with the kids when he got back home.
And maybe he was also dreaming about show girls.
But the point is that he is never far from home no matter how far from home he travels.
And he loves making the kids laugh.
He has done this missing scarf trick with the kids dozens of times and they never tire of it and he doesn't seem to either, no matter how many times they request it again and again.
I still don't think they have figured out he shoves the scarf into his false finger.
Good thing I caught it before it ran through the wash.
I would hate to see that joy end.

Project 365- Day 89

2011-03-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the little girl and I got to visit two of our favorite people in the world, my dear friend and the little girl's future BFF who is just two months younger than her.
It had been about 3 months since we had visited which we both decided was way too long to go without visiting a kindred soul.
The girls had a lot of fun playing together.
And my friend and I got a chance to reconnect even if only for a couple of hours.
I took about 25 adorable photos of the girls together but this one was my favorite.
They were running around the house holding hands and laughing.
They are both such spirited little ones and their energy is contagious.

Project 365- Day 88

2011-03-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot I am trying to do a monthly self portrait.
Here is the little girl and me in the car Tuesday morning.
We had just dropped off the big kid at school.
It is probably around 8:24am.
I don't think I am wearing any makeup.
I am also pretty sure I didn't brush my hair before we drove him there.
These are my weekday mornings, I get up, throw on some sweats, get my coffee, make the boy's lunch, feed both kids breakfast, get the little one dressed while directing the big kid, and then drive.
Oh, I think maybe I threw on some tinted chapsticky stuff.
Soft lips are always important, even while wearing sweats.

Project 365- Day 87

2011-03-31T01:09:00.000-07:00

She loves peas. If she could choose any food to eat at any given moment it would be peas. The big kid also used to love all his veggies. Now at seven he will only eat corn. I decided it would be appropriate to document the little girl's love of green before she decides to give them up too.

Project 365- Day 86

2011-03-31T01:05:00.000-07:00

The boys stayed up until 10:30pm, which is about three hours after my son is normally asleep on most nights. (He comes from a long line of chronic oversleepers, on his father's side of course.)
Despite the various sugar highs throughout the day before and the subsequent sugar crash and lack of sleep, they were all up early and with just as much energy as the day before. We sent them outside to expend that energy and the little girl joined them.

Project 365- Day 85

2011-03-31T00:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday the big kid had a sleep over with two of his cousins. He had asked me to make him a cake shaped like his dog, Oscar. It was pretty apparent that I was not going to be able to sculpt a dog shaped cake. I decided I could take the brown gum paste and make his bunny, Buddy Lite instead and then just put him on a regular shaped cake. I made the frosting green for the grass and gave the little guy a carrot. I even made some bunny droppings. He's seven. It's a common topic at our house. Despite the horrible lettering and the similarity to an Easter cake, thanks to the jelly beans, he loved it! And the boys thought it was hysterical that I put fake bunny poo on their cake slices. Boys.

Project 365- Day 84

2011-03-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

Friday was the little guy's 7th birthday. Thursday when I picked him up from school his teacher spoke to me about how he developed a fever of 102 the last half hour of school and how I would need to keep him home the next day. I almost dismissed it but when we arrived home there was a phone message from the school nurse as well so I decided that I should plan on keeping him home despite him no longer having a fever. When he woke up on his birthday he still had no fever but he said he felt a little run down and had a headache so we had a quiet morning and I gave him some pain reliever. By the afternoon he was back to his normal energetic self. I am not sure what if anything he had or perhaps he had just overexerted himself at school but we decided to make the most of his day. My family was here from the bay area to help us celebrate so we took the little guy to John's Incredible Pizza Co. for a pizza feast, games, and rides. They all had a blast, including my big kid! Where did seven years go?

Project 365- Day 83

2011-03-31T00:27:00.000-07:00

I ran out of doughy snacks for the little guy to take in his lunch so I made some from scratch. I found two great recipes, one for homemade wheat thins and the other for homemade cheese its. They didn't take long to make and they both tasted very similar to the real deal, only fresher and yummier. The cheese its cost me about $1.40 to make the same amount in a $2.50 box at the store, and the wheat thins only cost me 47 cents for a comparable $3 name brand box! And the butter I used for both was Tillamook so this was not cheap generic flavor here. The little guy snubbed both crackers. Perhaps they didn't have enough chemically taste to satisfy him. But I shared them with my family over the weekend and they devoured them.

Here is where you can find the recipes for homemade Wheat Thins and homemade Cheese Its.
The recipe for the cheese its includes reduced fat cheddar cheese. I used regular cheddar because that is what we had in the house. The taste was very similar to name brand although the crackers were more puffy. I am not sure how the reduced fat crackers would taste but if you are counting calories and craving them then it is worth a try.

Project 365- Day 82

2011-03-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my son was craving something sweet.
He mentioned that I hadn't made cupcakes in a while and I obliged.

I had some bananas that looked a little overripe so I made banana and chocolate chip cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting.
Sadly, I was totally out of butter so I substituted applesauce for the butter in the cupcakes and I made the frosting with veggie shortening.
The cupcakes were awesome because I think the applesauce makes them more moist but the frosting is just really not the same without the butter.
(You can substitute applesauce for any fat in baking if you want to cut some of the calories and fat. Just use a 1:1 ratio.)

Project 365- Day 81

2011-03-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

So happy the sun came out today, if only for a brief visit.

There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow so we spent lots of time outside and I made homemade chicken stock for the soup I plan on making tomorrow.
Might as well enjoy the last few rainy days of the season and send this cold weather out properly, because the valley heat is just waiting to make its appearance.

Project 365- Day 80

2011-03-22T01:26:00.000-07:00

The rain came down all night and this morning there was snow, about 200 feet above our property.
It literally just missed us.
The whole valley had snow covered hills when I drove to pick the little guy up from school this afternoon.
It was a gorgeous sight to see; the colors of spring against the backdrop of winter.

"One attraction in coming to the woods to live
was that I should have leisure and opportunity to see the spring come in."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Project 365- Day 79

2011-03-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays now that my husband is home for them.
We did a quick home church with the kids, enjoyed a nice breakfast, and then just relaxed.
It was raining nonstop so we had a toasty fire going in the wood stove, pulled pork in the crock pot, and it was just the way I think Sundays should be.
Of course, the kids get bored every few hours if we don't give them something exciting to do so we decided to hot tub for a little bit.

Yes, we hot tub even in the rain.
Just add rain boots and we are good to go.
I had also promised the kids we would make homemade chocolate chip cookies so we made a batch after dinner.

Mmmm.
I can't wait for the warmer weather so we can get outside more on our weekends at home.
I have been listening to this song in anticipation of the warm weather arriving:

Project 365- Day 78

2011-03-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

We pretty much stuck around the house on Saturday since we are trying to get our spring cleaning done. But my husband did head into the city to shop for our son's birthday gift and while he was there he picked up my Johnson & Johnson baby products that I had received a rain check for last month.

Remember I said they will adjust the price for the +UP rewards that had expired?
Well, that means he got all of these baby products, well over $30 at regular price, for nothing more than the tax!
And I think that completes my stockpile of baby wash and shampoo for the next 6 months, at least.

Project 365- Day 77

2011-03-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

This is my handsome husband posing for me in the car on our way home Friday night.

Yes, on our way home, as in we actually went somewhere without the kids.
It was a semi date night.
I say semi date because we went to an employee appreciation dinner given by the city for which he works.
I was worried it was going to be boring since you know, employee appreciation dinner?
But we had a lot of fun!
It was a casino night and they actually had real dealers.
They had craps, roulette, and I think poker but we stayed around the blackjack table.
That's my game.
Not that I win all that often but I really like it.
It is easy to understand, except for all the adding numbers in my head while under pressure of course, and it has good odds.
It was also the one and only time I will ever gamble with $100 chips!
What a rush!
And I got to meet a few more guys that my husband works with and it is always nice to put faces with names.
I also met a couple of their wives.
I had a lot of fun laughing with one in particular and I hope we get more opportunities to get together!

Project 365- Day 76

2011-03-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

"I believe we would be happier to have a personal revolution in our individual lives and go back to simpler living and more direct thinking.
It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature.
There are not hothouse blossoms that can compare in beauty and fragrance with my bouquet of wildflowers."
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Project 365- Day 75

2011-03-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

I have this friend.
We'll call her Trixie.
Trixie has a serious knack for finding four leaf clovers.
It's a little annoying, really.
Every time she takes her kids to the park, she finds one.
Every time.
Every single time!
Okay maybe not every time.
But often.

I grew up with clover all over our back yard. I would sit outside for hours combing through the multitudes of green leaves and I never found a single four leaf clover.
Recently we got bunnies and the kids and I have been collecting clover and grass as a treat for them.
And because of Trixie's ease at finding them I am convinced that it is much easier than it seems.
I just need to try harder.
I guess you could say I am a little competitive.

It's become an obsession.
The kids will have lost their interest in playing with the bunnies.
They head inside the house and I, saying I am just collecting for the bunnies, will spend the day searching for one.
Just one.
Until the light has left the sky and I am searching with a flashlight, I continue on my quest.
Alright, alright.
I am not that obsessed.
But I am maybe a little mad that Trixie can find all the four leaf clovers her heart desires and I can't even find one.
I am half Irish after all.
Don't I deserve a little bit of luck?

Today, I got my wish.
And this time, I wasn't even looking.
I was bending down to pick up some trash one of my ~~rotten~~ messy kids had left on our front walk.
I looked to the edge of the cement and there, amid a sea of green clover, I saw it.

But wait, why does it have four stems?
Aren't they supposed to have only three stems?
What kind of a messed up clover did I find?
Turns out, I found a clover whose mutation was due to genetics rather than environmental reasons.
I did some internet research and here I found this:
"The Classic 4-leaf clover has, well, 4 leaflets. Most mutants have three leaf stems in which one has split into two leaves,one usually smaller than the other. These types are probably produced by environmental factors more than genetic factors (not that genes don't play a part). Shamrocks with 4 leaflets, evenly shaped, and 4 separate leaflet stems are, from my experience, rarer, and probably strongly genetically influenced."
So my clover is the rarest of the rare.
How's that for luck?
Top this one Trixie!

* I should add that I hold nothing personal against Trixie. She is actually a very good friend who I believe might in fact be a Leprechaun, which is perhaps why she has such an easy time finding her lucky charms.

Project 365- Day 74

2011-03-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Forget wind turbines and solar panels.
If I could harness even a tenth of this tiny person's energy,
I could literally take our home off the grid.

Project 365- Day 73

2011-03-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

Pirates they be!

We were house bound today because both kids felt sick.
By the early evening they were feeling a little better so they decided to dress up like pirates.
A sword fight ensued.
The little one switched to a lightsaber shortly after this photo was taken.
She won.
Does anything beat a lightsaber?

Project 365- Day 72

2011-03-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Which one do you think belongs to me?

If you guessed the disorderly one you would be correct!
My amazing husband (who I am convinced either loves me very much or is having an affair and is trying really hard to keep me happy so I don't find out) took the kids to the zoo on Sunday with a friend and his two daughters, so I could have a little peace.
And he spent the whole day out.
And he went to the grocery store.
And it's not even Mother's Day or my birthday.
It was one of the most quiet and relaxing days I have had in a while.
I might be the luckiest woman around or the unluckiest, you know, depending on the whole affair thing.
He is the one who took this picture since I was not there, obviously.
Of course, I am not sure if this breaks the "take a picture a day" rules for my Project 365 but I didn't have a camera to use since the big guy took mine.
Well it's my project so I guess it's my rules too!

Project 365- Day 71

2011-03-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

My lovely family.

Project 365- Day 70

2011-03-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Okay seriously.

Anyone else have one of these?

Project 365- Day 69

2011-03-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got the kids bunnies and the novelty has yet to wear off.
Every day the baby asks to take her bunny Fluffy out of the cage and let her hop around.
While my husband hates that our grass grows fast and out of control, the bunny seems to like it. She spent a good hour hopping here and there escaping the clutches of the tiny terrorist chasing her and she ate clover and grass to her heart's content.

Action shot on my point and shoot camera! I am pretty impressed with my $40 Kodak.

Project 365- Day 68

2011-03-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of spring cleaning this week and have sadly neglected my blog. I really do not want to disappoint the 4 people that actually read this so I will try and get caught up tonight!

Last Wednesday, Susie Homemaker, one of my multiple personalities, took over my body. Not only did I keep my house clean ALL WEEK but I also spent an entire day mostly in the kitchen. I baked bread and cookies, made my husband an awesome dinner from scratch, made smoothies for the picky kid and his sister, and I made these lovely little treats.

They are roasted peas.
I have never been a big fan of peas in any form but my daughter loves them. She will eat them straight out of the freezer. So I thought it would be nice to have a snack handy whenever she gets the craving for them.
Turns out, even though she loves peas, she did not love them roasted.
But I did! Never thought I would choose to eat peas but these babies were good.
All I did was take 2 cups of frozen peas, defrosted them and then patted them dry with a paper towel, put them in a bowl with olive oil to coat, then added salt, pepper, and paprika. (You can add more seasonings depending on your taste but I like things simple.)
Then I put them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and baked them at 375 degrees for an hour.
My husband and I devoured them the next day after the baby girl rejected them.
Hopefully this summer ~~I can~~ the big guy can grow some fresh peas so I can make a couple jars full of them.

Project 365- Day 67

2011-03-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

The wee one and I went in search of eggs this morning.
There were none.
But we did find four lovely hens enjoying the warmth of the sun.

The fourth one was relaxing in the shade under the coop.
We stayed and just watched them peck at the ground for a while.
It was very relaxing just listening to their muffled clucks as they happily searched for bugs.
How will we ever name them when they all look the same?

Project 365- Day 66

2011-03-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

The baby and her dad went and collected eggs from our new residents this morning.
She loved bringing in the eggs, something she was too little to do the last time we had chickens.
But she didn't want to let go of them.

She asked if she could put the eggs in her room.
She wanted to see the baby chickens.
Luckily she was satisfied with me saying that we can't have babies unless we have a rooster and these were just the plain eggs God gave us for eating.
How would I have explained fertilization to a 2 1/2 year old?

Project 365- Day 65

2011-03-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today was a cloudy, rainy day.
Thankfully, spring is less than two weeks away and knowing that we will be outside a lot more when it warms up makes me want to go through every room and organize, declutter, wipe down, dust, sweep, and mop.
So today, while the kids mucked around in the yard, the big guy and I tackled the kitchen and living room.
We worked all day purging these very lived in spaces and by the end of the day we had two squeaky clean rooms.
Just seeing the kitchen this spotless and the cabinets organized and decluttered makes me want to cook something.

Doesn't it look lovely?
Of course, if you come to our house and are expecting to see the kitchen looking exactly like this, then you might want to bring a copy of the above photo with you.
We cook 95% of our meals at home, often with one or two little people assisting, and that does make for a very lived in look.
But tonight I will enjoy it in all it's shiny glory.

Project 365- Day 64

2011-03-06T00:44:00.000-08:00

Despite a rough start to our morning which involved a six year old boy and a tantrum to end all tantrums, today was a wonderful day.
We headed out to Cherry Lane Auction in Fresno to see about some chickens. We use a lot of eggs around here in baking, cooking, and just to eat plain, and it would be nice if we could have those eggs be free of antibiotics and all the potential problems associated with store bought eggs.
We got to the auction around 10:30am and it was packed. The weather was perfect and the food was fabulous.
We found our chickens and came home with four. While we were there the kids spotted the cute little baby bunnies and begged for us to get them a couple. Since we just buried our fish, Fishy, this past week, we agreed to get them a bunny each.
(While burial at sea is the preferred method for disposing of a fish friend, it doesn't have the same appeal when the poor thing ends up in the septic tank instead of drifting gently to the ocean, therefore we buried him by the creek.)
But the guy wanted $15 for a regular "we multiple faster than you can count us" bunny and so we left. The kids were upset so we decided to try one of my favorite ways to shop, Craigslist.
We found a guy in Kingsburg that had lots of different types of bunnies and the kids picked out their two favorites.
Then we enjoyed the lovely drive home through the countryside admiring all the early signs of a much anticipated spring.
One of those chickens even laid an egg en route!

The kids love their new bunnies, Fluffy, which is what the baby named hers, and Bunny Lite, the little guy's new pet. Now we just have to come up with four new chicken names.
Any ideas?

Project 365- Day 63

2011-03-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

Movie night!!

The little one was fading fast and by 7:30pm was ready for bed.
She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
7:30pm is their usual bedtime but for movie night we let them stay up a little later if they can keep their eyes open.
My kids might be up with the sun, but at least they go to bed early!

Project 365- Day 62

2011-03-06T00:07:00.000-08:00

Chocolate milk mustache.

Not quite as cute as the original.

Project 365- Day 61

2011-03-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

The baby and I spend a lot of time playing indoors, dressing up, cooking treats and meals, and making a general mess of the house when her brother is at school.
But once he gets home they are outside a lot.
This afternoon, I heard the baby girl talking to her brother from her bedroom.
She said, "Okay cowboy. I am weh-dee for an ad-ben-sure!"
Then they came outside dressed like this.

The baby said, "We are going on an ad-ben-sure mom. See you way-tur!"
They caught lizards, played with the dogs, and spent a few hours outside.
Unfortunately, part of that adventure was the baby girl acquiring a tick in her scalp! Yikes!!
I think I see short hair in her future.
I was able to get the little sucker out but she has a little red mark on her scalp now and she is worried that she will get "spiders" crawling through her hair again.
Looks like the bug spray is going to be needed a little earlier this year!

Project 365- Day 60

2011-03-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we stopped by CVS to get some good deals on toothpaste, power toothbrushes and Excedrin. I had a rude cashier who I swear was looking down on me for using so many coupons, like she was the CEO of some company instead of just a regular person like me. She forgot to give me $10 in extra care bucks and seemed bothered by having to re-ring itens so I could get it.
Hello! It's $10! Do you know what I can buy with $10?
In the midst of correcting her on this and teaching her about what "one coupon per purchase" actually means, I forgot to use some of my extra care bucks and spent more out of pocket than I wanted to spend.
So on Tuesday we went back to CVS to spend those bucks.

I got everything above for zero out of pocket dollars, but I used $23 in extra care bucks. Not bad and we are stocked on TP for a while.
The Coppertone sunscreen stick (which is great to use on little kids faces) was on clearance for 25 cents!
I also got another $10 in extra care bucks to spend next week!

Project 365- Day 59

2011-03-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

It was nice to get back to our regular routine, school, home ~~cleaning~~ watching the baby destroy the house, etc.
The little dude had a swim lesson in the city so I made a quick stop at Rite Aid before his class.

I got everything in the photo (minus the children who insist that every photo must include them)for a grand total of $9.65 out of pocket and I made $7 in +UP rewards for my next trip! It is pretty easy to see that using coupons really stretches your dollar and that the dollar stores have nothing on the pharmacies.

Project 365- Day 58

2011-03-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday was filled with sledding, making gooey smores and yummy snow cones with real snow, playing a lot of board games, and hot tubbing in the snow.
Sunday the sun came out just in time for us to pack up and leave.
The kids played outside while we cleaned.
It was a gorgeous day in the mountains.

The drive home was a little harrowing. I have driven on snowy roads before, but not snowy roads that have a couple of inclines and a drop to nowhere directly in front of you as you attempt to take the curve. It's not something I would like to do again unless the road has been plowed a lot better. Maybe that's why no one else was on the road.

Project 365- Day 57

2011-03-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a lot nicer outside.
The snow was falling on and off but it was a little warmer, and the sun peeked out a little here and there.
So we piled on the layers and went outside to play.

Project 365- Day 56

2011-03-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

By Friday the snow looked like this:

And it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. The big guy took the kids to sled while I stayed toasty warm inside.

Project 365- Day 55

2011-02-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

We are heading up to the mountains soon so I thought I would do today's post a little earlier. There is some way to post from my phone but I am not that tech savvy so I probably won't blog until Sunday.
I just wanted to let you all know about this incredible Johnson's baby products sale going on this week. If you have young ones it is too good to pass up.

The total of everything in the picture plus tax(minus the little person) was $25.93, before coupons. After coupons the total was $14.05. But with +UP rewards from our last shopping trip it was $5.55. We used a $5 rebate check I got for buying batteries in December and the total out of pocket cost was only 55 cents which makes our savings 98%!
And I have another $10 in +UP rewards for next week.
Now, are you still not using coupons?
Here is the great Johnson's baby products deal going on until Saturday!!
Rite Aid has all Johnson's baby products (shampoo, body wash, lotion, Qtips, and Desitin)on sale for $2.99. Each product will produce a $2 +UP reward which is just like cash for any purchases, and you usually have around 3 weeks to use them.
There were coupons for $1 off any Johnson's baby products in the Smart Source coupon insert in the January 9th newspaper. There is also a $1 off of Desitin in the same insert.
If you are super new to couponing then you can still get in on the deal. Johnson's has printable coupons on their website here.
You should be able to print two copies of each coupon per printer. Just hit the back button and the coupon will print again.
With 7 products that makes 14 printable coupons (per printer) and if you have paper coupons you can get enough baby wash and lotion to last you for a year!
So with the $2 +UP reward and the $1 off coupon, these are essentially free, as long as you use the +UP the next time you shop there!
Because this is such a great deal I am sure many Rite Aids are running low on stock.
I know I sent my husband to the store with 8 more coupons but they were all out of everything Johnson's. Luckily they have rainchecks, which are almost better than +UP rewards.
Make sure to ask for a rain check for as many items as you wanted to buy (Currently there is no limit on how many you can buy, although this might vary by store.) and then return next week to buy the products when they have been restocked.
Once the sale ends on Saturday the +UP rewards will not print on your receipt. The cashier will adjust the price to reflect the +UP reward you should have received, and with the added $1 coupon, you get them all for free!
I use the baby wash and shampoo for the kids because they hate having their hair washed for fear of shampoo in the eyes.
Baby products also make good baby gifts for an expecting friend and great as a donation to your local shelters!
Happy shopping and have a lovely weekend!
Now I am off to enjoy some snow!!

So when we arrived at my in laws home in the mountains the snow looked like this:

Project 365- Day 54

2011-02-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

I spent most of today packing for a weekend trip to the mountains.
Since we are supposed to have snow all weekend with high temperatures in the 20s and 30s, I made sure the kids got lots of time outside.
Despite the wee one waking up at 10pm last night and not going back to sleep until almost 1am, and still not sleeping in, she had boundless energy.
They both did. They both do. Always.
I don't understand how but even when the smaller one doesn't sleep well, and despite the fact that the bigger, slightly less wild one eats mainly cereal for most meals, they never seem to run out of energy.
And they don't even drink coffee!

How do they do it?
Some days they are indoors all day but then they are racing from one end of the house to the other, figuring out ways to slide down the hall on cardboard or in doll strollers.
No matter where they are they never seem to stop moving.
It makes me tired just thinking about it.
Are your kids like this?

Project 365- Day 53

2011-02-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

This week we are all enjoying feeling a lot healthier, an end to antibiotics, and a week off of school. Our Tuesday was mostly laid back with a dental cleaning for the little man in the city and then lunch in the park with the big guy.
When we got home it was still light out and it wasn't too cold so the kids spent time playing in the creek. We found animal tracks that I am pretty sure were made by a raccoon, we inspected a downed tree for acorns left in the small holes by acorn woodpeckers, and we walked the property line just enjoying the afternoon.
Then we discovered the perfect spot for the playhouse we plan to build sometime in the near future.

This rock outcropping (as I recently learned it is called) is near the front of our property above our creek.
The other side of the big rock to the left has a flat side around 5-6 feet high that looks like a wall and could easily double for one side in our structure.
We even discussed attempting to build a small foot bridge or even a low to the ground zip line across the creek so they could easily get back to the house.
The little man loved the idea.
Ah, to be six again.

Project 365- Day 52

2011-02-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

A little less than three years ago I found out I was pregnant with a girl.
I did not have a vision of her in a pretty pink dress with ruffles and lace, wearing shiny shoes and her hair up in bows.
I was a rough and tumble child.
I knocked my own front teeth out by flinging myself from a sofa at the age of three in an attempt to fly.
I caught frogs in creeks and chased my sisters with them.
I played in mud.
I always sort of imagined my daughter would be similar to how I was.
But I never in my wildest visions imagined this.

This was my beautiful princess this morning.
I was making brownie cupcakes and she insisted that she lick the bowl.
When the cupcakes were finally done I called her to the kitchen to get one.
In she came, covered literally from head to toe in batter.
How or why I can not tell you and she was not talking either.
So, I promptly stuck her in the shower to be hosed down, after a few quick photos of course.
Now you see why she is the gray in my hair.
I finished the brownie cupcakes, and made a delicious peanut butter cream cheese frosting to top them off.
Even though the older one refused to eat the frosting (he hates cream cheese) he loved the cupcakes.

At least one of them stayed semi-clean today.
I can only imagine what tomorrow has in store for us.

Project 365- Day 51

2011-02-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a day for shut ins.
The baby girl and I are still recovering from this wretched cold, so we sent the boys off and the two of us spent the day at home.
When the weather is cold like it is now I always get a desire to bake.
I bought some dried strawberries a while back for practically nothing and I have been looking for a way to use them other than in cereal.
I found a recipe for raisin bread in my bread machine cookbook, so I just modified it a little for the dried strawberries. I added 2 teaspoons of sugar and omitted the cinnamon and hoped for the best.
It was delicious, crispy crust with a doughy center that was the perfect texture. The strawberries got kind of gooey during baking and the extra sugar did not make the bread too sweet at all. It would be the perfect addition to breakfast or just with some coffee in the evening.
The pickiest kid in the world even ate two pieces so that has to say something for the bread, right?
I made this bread with dried strawberries but I am guessing you could use fresh as well.

Strawberry Bread (for your bread machine)
1 & 1/3 cups water
4 & 1/4 cups bread flour
4 & 3/4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp dry milk (I use whole milk, not dry without any issues)
1 & 1/2 tsp salt (I prefer sea salt but table salt is fine too)
2 & 1/2 Tbsp butter (I use unsalted butter for all my baking)
2 tsp active dry yeast (or 2 & 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast)
1 & 1/4 cups strawberries cut in raisin sized pieces (separate before adding)

My bread machine says to add in the water first, then the dry ingredients, then the yeast, and start the machine. During the first knead I add the strawberries.

Enjoy!

Project 365- Day 50

2011-02-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Today my husband offered to organize the playroom and clean out the laundry room closet.
Today while my husband was cleaning I was folding 5 loads of laundry.
Today while we were cleaning up the house the little guy went to his cousin's to play.
Today while we were not looking she got a hold of a marker and did this.

Today I really wanted to be angry and annoyed.
Today she said, "I think this one is jeh-wee fiss mommy."
Today I forgave her.
But tomorrow...

Project 365- Day 49

2011-02-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

The little guy had his class Valentine's Day party on Friday.
The baby and I joined him when it was almost over since she was having a meltdown kind of a day. She had to join the big kids on the rug for story time. She loves being a part of the action and is never shy about walking away from me to play with others.
Almost every day she asks when she is going to school. Earlier in the day she saw a school bus and wanted to know when she would be riding one.
I am just not ready for her to be so independent but I know the day is fast approaching.
Hopefully, I will adjust to it all as easily as I imagine she will.

Project 365- Day 48

2011-02-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about my husband but I have to give credit where credit is due. He is not a perfect person by any stretch of the imagination but he tries.
Today he not only took the baby to her swimming lesson so I could work on our bills and budget, but he also endured couponing for me at Rite Aid, while I talked him through the process on the phone.
True love.

I had two coupons I really wanted to use to maximize our savings, a $4 off $20 purchase, and a $5 rewards from shopping in December. I am still pretty new to this all and I thought I had read somewhere that you can only use two of those coupons together if they have different letters in their code and these were the same.
But then I realized, I could have him do two separate transactions. What a patient man, and with a very fussy toddler in his arms too.
The first transaction was $12.84 after coupons, and the second transaction was 97 cents after coupons. The total out of pocket was $13.81 but we also made $12 in UP+ rewards to use next time we shop.
So the total cost of all those items if you include the UP+ rewards was $1.81!!
I love coupons and I honestly don't know how people can shop without them!
That's a savings of around 95 percent!
Why did I ever pay full price?

Project 365- Day 47

2011-02-17T00:24:00.000-08:00

A little rain does not mean the end of fun for a two year old who loves the outdoors.
It only means we have to stretch our imaginations a little more to find new things to do inside.

Project 365- Day 46

2011-02-15T21:09:00.000-08:00

Our hill.

I am hoping that it is covered in snow by Thursday.
I want to sled down our hill like we do every year.
Since we moved here four years ago we have had anywhere from one to four days of snow a year.
Perfect.
This winter we had one day where it snowed for fifteen minutes.
Lame.
I want snow.

Project 365- Day 45

2011-02-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Today was going to begin great because my husband was letting me sleep in for Valentine's Day.
Sadly we awoke at 5:00am to the baby girl coughing and coughing and coughing.
We spent a good 30 minutes trying to settle her cough with asthma meds.
But at least I was able to catch the sunrise.
It was gorgeous!

Then I went back to sleep.
When I woke up there was coffee waiting for me and a great surprise from my husband and the kids.
About a month or so ago the baby girl, or wild thing #2, climbed up on top of my sewing table and grabbed a small ceramic fish off of the top of my dresser.
She dropped the fish.
The fish was one of the few things my husband and I bought on our honeymoon in Cabo, nine years ago.
I was very sad about my fish.
My sneaky husband took the many pieces and with the kids help used them to make a stepping stone for our garden.
It was one of the most thoughtful gifts he has ever given me and he has given me a lot of thoughtful gifts.
I am a very blessed girl.

Project 365- Day 44

2011-02-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday was great. My husband watched the kids so I could organize coupons and figure out what I needed to buy for the week. I grabbed the little guy and he and I headed into the city to do some grocery shopping.
I had some Extra Care Bucks that needed to be used soon so we made a quick stop at CVS.

I didn't buy a lot there but I got some good deals. I spent a total of $11.93 including tax for the above items. I had $9 in ECBs so I only paid $2.93 out of pocket for the items.
But I also got back $8.58 in ECBs.
We also did a small shopping trip at Winco. I saved about 29% on my bill using coupons which is pretty good. Winco is really low priced to begin with and any extra savings is pretty amazing.
A lot of what Winco has every day at regular price is a sale price only at every other store.
I make fun of the store sometimes because it really attracts some characters but it is great to have them in our area. We save so much money by shopping there for staples.
While I love their prices I really hate their coupon policy.
The checker was having a tough time getting all the coupons to scan and she said the ones that would not scan she could not enter manually. Most stores will enter the bar code manually if the coupon will not scan. She kept trying and was able to get almost all of them to go through.
You should have seen the faces of the people in line behind me. I used to feel bad but I thought, if any of these people want to give me the $28 I just saved I will gladly go without using the coupons. Until then, they will just have to wait.
If I get in line and someone who has only a couple of things goes behind me I will let them go ahead. But I have never seen anyone at Winco not leave with a full cart.
And if I save $2000-3000 a year by using coupons then I can handle the stares and glares.
I have semi-wild children.
I am used to it.

Project 365- Day 43

2011-02-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

You forget how small baby clothes are when your kids are no longer babies.
In case you have forgotten also, I will tell you.
They are itty bitty, especially in the first few months.

You also forget how much money you spent on things for your firstborn that were completely unnecessary.
I came across these water shoes when I was sorting through old baby clothes on Saturday. I bought these for the little guy before he was born.
We lived on the coast and I guess I figured he would be spending time in the water, but did he really need water shoes?
I mean, aren't water shoes for people to be able to walk in the water without losing their footing?
He didn't even crawl until he was almost ten months.
I don't even know if these shoes fit him much past the first month.
I remember when I bought them too, feeling like they were really necessary to match the lime green and blue swim trunks my sister had given me for him.
They are cute though aren't they?

Project 365- Day 42

2011-02-14T22:07:00.000-08:00

After many weeks of hearing complaints about tangles while brushing and worrying about the upkeep of the long hair, the little guy got his hair cut. He says he likes it and that it looks just like dad's hair.
I think the short hair makes him look young again which is perfectly fine with me!

Project 365- Day 41

2011-02-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

Forget wordless Wednesday.
This is tired Thursday so forgive my short post.
The big guy took the kids to see the doctor this morning so I could get some rest.
They chose to go incognito.

I will leave you with a fabulous quote that is on my Do It All Mom calendar for the month.
It was quoted from Mildred B. Vermont. I have not a clue who she is but I like the way she looks at things.
"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love."
Beautiful.

Project 365- Day 40

2011-02-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

The kids have been sick all week.
Coughing, gagging, achy, runny noses, fevers, chills, we have seen it all.
Today I kept the little guy home because he slept only a few hours last night.
I tried to keep them calm and resting so they can recover but by 2 o'clock we were all tired of being cooped up inside.
It was warm and sunny so I let them play in the creek.

I love our creek. Right now it is shallow and we have newts that lay their eggs in the water under the big rocks.
When they hatch they hang out at our creek for weeks and the kids love to catch them and have newt races.

I know I am supposed to post just one picture a day but I had to add this photo.
The little man said they are giving each other rides.
What do you think?

Project 365- Day 39

2011-02-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

The kids have found another neighborhood dog that likes to drop by for visits.
This one they are calling Boxer.
I am not entirely sure why, but I find it funny that neither dog that visits has a tag although both have collars.
Our dog also has a collar with no name tag and I can guarantee that none of these dogs are being walked on leashes since they have the run of the hill all day long.
Why the collars?

Boxer began coming by for a visit about a week ago, and he was back again today.
He is really sweet and quiet and best of all, calm.
He's a good balance for my hyper kids.
My husband wants to adopt him.
I think the kids already did.

Project 365- Day 38

2011-02-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

I had to go into the city today for the little guy's swim lesson. He is doing awesome by the way, working on his back stroke now. And the baby girl was so good during his lesson, almost like a normal child.
She kept bringing me books to read and was talking up a storm.
She must get it from her dad.
Anyway, I made a quick stop by CVS because I had extra care bucks that will expire in a few weeks and I wanted to make sure I used them all.
Not many deals going on this week there but I got what I could.

I got three boxes of my current favorite cereal Chex(which in case you did not know is gluten free),two boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, two bottles of Wisk Ultra laundry detergent, two Skintimate Shave Gels, Zantac 150, and a box of Huggies baby wipes.
Total cost before coupons was around $40 not including tax. After coupons and extra care bucks, and with tax my out of pocket total was $1.27. And I received nine more extra care bucks. The receipt says I saved $62.82 which I assume is with nothing on sale. That would bring my savings to 98% for this transaction.
I'll take it!
Now it is time for me to go and visit with Jim Bob, Michelle, and the kids, and enjoy how quiet my house is at the moment.
Have a good evening!

Project 365- Day 37

2011-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Superbowl Sunday.
Today I learned that bronchitis does not always go away with antibiotics, it is always sunny and warm when you are stuck inside sick, The Black Eyed Peas have great choreography but can't sing live worth a damn (sorry Fergie fans), Slash is still as nasty looking as he was in the 90s, and children can get croup more than once.
I also learned that living far from the city does not mean we are without conveniences.
Take the newspaper for example.
Not only can it be delivered to your home way out here, it can also be purchased at remote locations.
This is where I got my Sunday paper, in the middle of nowhere right between Maxon and Watts Valley.
Ever heard of them?

Project 365- Day 36

2011-02-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

I honestly did nothing exciting this weekend. While I laid in bed feeling sorry for myself, the big guy and the baby went into town to buy food for Super Bowl Sunday, and then stopped by to pick the little guy up from a sleep over at his cousin's house.
While lying in bed, I heard the weirdest bird calls. I am used to hearing a lot of different birds and even more so recently. We have had about 3 trees fall over and come to rest across the creek in one section and it has made the perfect home for a few different birds, mainly woodpeckers and quail.
But I had never heard this sound so I went to the window to see what was making so much noise. About ten feet from my window I saw these weird birds:

Guineafowl!! I love these birds. I think I must be a total nerd because once I saw them I knew instantly what they were. They are called the watchdogs of the farmyard and I wanted to get some after some of our goats and chickens went "missing" from our property over the last few years. Guineafowl or guineahens as they are also known, will make a horrible racket if they see or hear something that alarms them, so they are great for alerting you to predators. I think these belong to our neighbors as they currently have chickens that need watching over. They must have wandered to our property after hearing about all the great bugs and acorns here.

They really have a distinct sound and I was able to record one. I know, really exciting. But it was a highlight for me after being in bed all day.

Project 365- Day 35

2011-02-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

My husband was finally done with his work week and took over everything so I could rest.
Thank you love!
The little guy went back to school with his asthma medications and did fine all day without any problems. I slept a good chunk of the day away but I was still feeling miserable.
We decided homemade ice cream would make me feel better.

We made ours peanut butter chocolate chip and if you have never eaten homemade ice cream, then you are seriously missing out. This Cuisinart ice cream maker that Santa brought us all this year is the best! You put the bowl in the freezer and leave it there until you need it. Then you whip sugar, milk, and heavy cream together, put it in the fridge for an hour or two, attach the bowl, pour in the mixture and that's it. The machine makes delicious soft serve in 15 minutes. If you want it to be firmer like regular ice cream, just freeze it for an hour.
You can add in anything you want, candy, nuts, etc, during the last few minutes and it is just like a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, only a lot tastier!

Project 365- Day 34

2011-02-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

So I got a little behind posting again this week, but I made sure to take photos every day.
Bronchitis is not fun to deal with and if anyone has a home remedy for the pain I feel in the back of my head every time I cough, I would love to hear it. I am taking a few medicines including antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine and this cough is just hanging on as long as it can.
We are all sick here except for the big guy but the kids cannot sit still for long, so I bundled them up and out they went to explore.

The air was chilly but they were really happy to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!
Hopefully it sticks around for a while.

Project 365- Day 33

2011-02-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an off day. I felt miserable, the little guy was sick, the baby girl was cranky, and because of doctor's appointments we had to miss going to the zoo with friends. Then the kid and I got put on several different medications and I found out they cost a lot more than they used to cost. I saw the big guy for about 15 minutes the entire day and that was at the pharmacy.
All in all it was a less than happy day.
But my day got better when we arrived home because I was greeted by this:

My beautiful brand new Zojurishi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine was in a box on my kitchen table waiting for me!
I am always prepared for baking so I made my first loaf, a chocolate bread with chocolate chips. Mmm. It took a total of three hours and forty five minutes since the yeast was not the rapid rise stuff, but it did all the mixing, kneading, and baking with ease. I just added in all the ingredients and let it work its magic. The loaf came out looking beautiful and it tasted fabulous.
And can I tell you, my house smelled heavenly!! Nothing like the scent of fresh baked bread to remind you of home. Well, not my home. My mom never baked or cooked except for really sticky spaghetti. But if she had been a baker that is exactly how our house would have smelled!
As a bonus, there was almost zero clean up which is always a good thing.
And it also makes jam, doughs, and meatloaf. Who knew?
I used to wonder, do people really win all those giveaways on blogs?
Yes. Yes they do.
Now go and win something for yourself!
I won mine at Money Saving Mom! She does giveaways pretty often and there isn't all those write this comment on here and like me on Facebook and Twitter and comment there requirements that annoy me on so many blogs.
You just click on the green box that has "Click here to enter the giveaway" written on it, fill out your information, and that's it!
Now just sit back and wait for your name to be posted as the winner!
Plus, her website is filled with about one million ideas for saving money, a coupon database, deals for every store by region, and many more things that will help you save money. Go check it out!

Project 365- Day 32

2011-02-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days. The baby was up early after a night of waking up many times, the big kid was whiny getting ready for school and I was exhausted. I spent the day cleaning up after a wild little girl who is really good at ruining things. Much like these children.
I would be cleaning up one mess while she was making another. We jokingly say she is like the ocean, beautiful to look at but you never want to turn your back on her.
While I was taking one minute to myself in the bathroom she went into my bedroom, scaled my sewing basket that has yet to be used, reached up on my dresser and brought down a cheap little colorful ceramic fish that she had been eyeing.
I got that cheap little fish in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on my honeymoon nine years ago.
I found her with it in the living room.
Just as I was about to tell her to hand it to me, it slipped out of her chubby toddler hands, into a dozen pieces on the floor.
I was really sad but I love her more than the fish so I let her live.
Today.
That's pretty much how my day continued.
So I was thankful to have these on hand.

I drank three before I read the calorie information.
Tomorrow has to be better.

Project 365- Day 31

2011-02-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Since the little guy and I were still coughing like crazy we took the night off from his swimming lesson and hung out at home after school.
After we baked cookies we decided a dip in the hot tub would be good for our coughs. It's probably not good for our coughs at all but it felt nice.
While in the hot tub we watched the sunset and talked about who created it. The baby said, "Good night sun." It was an amazing sunset, like the sky was on fire, and it was a relaxing end to our day.

While watching the sun set I was thinking how nice it is that we have this gorgeous view without a room, and how incredibly blessed we are. Yes, we could have a nicer home or more money for the day to day living. But we have so much more than a lot of people, especially in our county.

After we got out the little guy noticed that there was a package outside the front door. It was my shipment of Colgate Wisps that I had ordered from Woot.com a couple of weeks ago. I got a ton of them for only fourteen cents each which is a lot cheaper than the store with a sale and coupons. In case you don't know about them, they are these little toothbrushes you use without water.
I figured my husband could use them at work since he often has to deal with the public, minutes after he has scarfed down some food.
But as I was looking at just how many we had received I got an idea. Every time we go into the city we see homeless people. And every time I see homeless people I have to give them a buck or two. I know I am probably gullible, but it breaks my heart and it's who I am. I remember learning in college that the majority of non-transitional homeless are veterans, families, and the mentally ill. That's sad. So I give them money.
But what if we gave them more than a few bucks? The little guy and I decided that we should come up with a bag of things that will make their living a little easier. The Wisps would be good since it isn't likely that homeless people have access to clean water often. We started brain storming ideas, things we would want if we were out in the valley heat or freezing cold. We came up with a lot of great things to include and this weekend we will begin working on that. I am excited to find something that my son and I are both passionate about, me since I worked at my first soup kitchen at the age of fifteen, and he when his dad took him to meet a homeless man he has had the opportunity to get to know.
And while shopping around on the internet for ideas I found the perfect bag to put everything in:

If you can't see the print it reads: One Earth, One Person, One Chance.
Perfect, right?