Packers to the Superbowl!!!

YAY! Who thought a few weeks ago that we would be headed to the SUPERBOWL! . . . only every die-hard Packer fan, we never give up, do we  :)

We had a great neighborhood get-together. Our home was full of Bears fans, which made victory that much sweeter. We all feasted on way too much food and my home will smell of onions and sauerkraut for a few days. And I couldn't be happier.

I could say we were greatly out-numbered, but there are 7 of us, so we are never really out-numbered by much! Our favorite Bear fans, our neighbors, were all gracious in defeat and happy for a good game.

But there was silence in the neighborhood. No fireworks streaking across the sky in celebration  :)  That means we did good :) Go Pack!!!
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We find ourselves more cut off from our neighbors during these winter months. It's part of living in the North. That's one of the things that makes winter feel so long. Children cooped up in the house is never a good thing. The occasional trip shopping or on warmer days out to build a snowman or to go sledding, is freedom short lived.

During the summer months, we barely make it through a single day without interaction with our neighbors. We are far away from our families, but this neighborhood has taken us in as family. Our children play as though they are siblings, knowing each other for the last seven years. We have learned to trust our neighbors and know that they are there for us when we need them. It's very comforting.

A change of job has our life's path going in a different direction. If we can sell our home in today's housing market, everything will change. Change is good, right? I look forward to finding a new owner for this home. Someone I hope who will love it and our neighbors as much as we have.

The difficult choice is finding our new neighborhood. I hope that we can be so lucky to find a neighborhood that our children can grow comfortably in. Where I can trust my surroundings and know that we are home. School ratings are at the top of my list when looking at neighborhoods. Kids spend so much time in these schools, I just pray we make the right choice. So much of this decision is based on what is best for my children. And that's the way it should be. I just want them safe and happy.

Sometimes the easy way out is staying the same. Life is full of twists and turns. If everything stayed the same and comfortable, we wouldn't grow into the people we are meant to be. I look at my babies, wishing they could stay small and adorable and all heart forever. But then I look at Zoe, and I remember thinking the same about her. She will soon be turning 10 and I love seeing the person she is growing into. She is an amazing person that fills me with pride, so much it brings me to tears at times.

So as sad as it makes me, and as excited it makes me at the same time. My new focus will be selling this house. It's been on the list for a while, but it now has to find it's way to the top of my list. I need to sell my home, so my family can feel whole again. I'm ready for change.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

I have been BUSY, if you couldn't tell from my title :) This blog is about some of the things that have been keeping me busy.
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I have finally seen my new nephew Eli for the first time :) He's nearly a month old and my sick children have kept me from seeing him until now. Cameron didn't understand that he had a new cousin until he saw him.

ADORABLE! And he didn't make a sound the entire time we were there, even with my five playing. That's probably because he's used to my favorite niece Olivia, who's as loud as my five put together, LOL, but not kidding :)


Here's the first picture of all the cousins together, what a great looking family :)

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I also bought a pomegranate. Zoe loves them and is always begging for them. I hate them because they are such a mess. I bought one anyways, because that's what moms do.


I looked up on the Internet and found a YouTube video of how to properly cut a pomegranate. It also showed a less messy way to do it, which I was very excited about. Zoe got to enjoy the pomegranate and I don't have red stained hands. Now pomegranates won't be so scary to buy.


Here's a link to the YouTube video, if you are interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHyqoeB0Wlk
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I bravely and patiently cut Emmitt and Castiel's hair. I used my skills from watching the other kids get their hair cut for years.  I'm proud to say that Castiel no longer can be mistaken for a girl.
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I've also been busy with eBay! I have sold 89 items for $727.73! I can't believe it either. I just listed a bunch of stuff: stuffed animals, doll house furniture, dvds, baby items and nearly everything sold.


I sold a pet net for 9.00 plus 1.50 s/h and the two grandparents from our dollhouse for 19.50 plus 3.00 s/h, three receiving blankets for 6.50 plus 2.50 s/h and a car seat for 46.00 plus 20.00 s/h. I am definitely going to keep selling.


It's putting extra money in my pockets while cleaning up my house at the same time :) Win, Win. Packaging everything up and getting it to the post office is a lot of work, but I would do that over having a garage sale any day.
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Cameron also started his second semester of pre-preschool. It's only 2 days a week, but it's good for him to have something to do on his own. The teachers are great and he loves them. I am thankful that they have him singing the alphabet in order, because it's something I couldn't convince him of.


He started complaining of his toes being scrunched in his shoes, so we went shoe shopping after his first day. I got him a new pair and didn't realize until then just how scrunched his toes really were. I gotta teach him to speak up sooner, because these days I'm too busy to notice everything unless told.


He went from a size 7-1/2 to a 10. Ouch!!!
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I designed a vehicle magnet for my mother's business. Soon she will be able to advertise while she's driving around town. I think my dad should get a set for his vehicle too to show his support :) 


Here's a link to my mother's fused glass website if you are interested.
http://www.mysassyglass.com/
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I have been playing around with Picasa. This is a google photo program. I think I'm going to use it to make my photo books for the kids. I'm not sure yet, still playing around. I am also trying to figure out how to share photos with the program. I have it all set up to share, I just have to contact someone to test it out, fyi Em. I figure it might be an easy way to exchange photos with the family. I know some of the family has great pics of my kids, and really, I just want to steal them.
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I have also discovered a new way to get my kids to eat apples. I asked for an apple peeler and pie dish for Christmas. I am yet to make an apple pie, but we did have to try out the new tool and we discovered it is fun and easy . . . and most importantly, it makes apples taste so much better, lol.

The girls have been asking to peel an apple when they get home from school, instead of rummaging around the treat drawer.


Doesn't all curly food taste better.

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Zoe was looking at my calendar where I am keeping track of all my goal accomplishments and said "That Chicken Cordon Bleu was last Monday, it feels like forever ago". So I took that as her asking for another new meal, which we had last night. It was Mushroom Meatloaf, which the girls devoured and the boys weren't interested in touching. That's okay, I had leftover Mac & Cheese in the fridge :) I'll post the recipe later.
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And then, there is the planning for January's get-together. We are Packer fans in Bear Country, so I can't think of a better party. All the Bear fans (our neighbors) are coming over for Brats and Burgers and we're gonna watch the Packers take the Championship (I hope, otherwise they might all be kicked out of our house into the snowbank).


My boys are ready for a BIG WIN on Sunday!!!

Life around here is never dull, that's for sure. I need a nap :)

What happened to the Stars?!? . . . there's got to be a man behind this :)

I have been feeling . . . not myself lately. With the change of the new year, I think my personality may have changed with it. Is that even possible?


I think that's why I started this blog. I needed to do something new in my life and my options are limited with five children.


And then this week K.C. tells me, I'm a Gemini?!? I've been a Cancer all my life and I thought that it suited me perfectly. Then somebody says we're missing Ophiuchus and it changes everything. How does this happen? But in a way, it may explain a few things.


As a Crab, I valued my hard outer shell for protection. I felt most comfortable at home. And hid my sensitive feelings. I held onto everything, including the past. Fiercely loyal and had a hard time letting things go. I protected those I loved and nurtured them with my tough shell. I built security by developing my home and family relationships.


And now, am I really a Gemini? A person with a dual nature, who believes our world comes in pairs. The yin and the yang. I'm going to like something and also it's opposite. (For those who have met my twins, Emmitt and Castiel, they are a great example of my love of opposites.) I am now curious, talkative, versatile and mentally active. My mind will bounce from one topic to another with great ease. An eternally youthful child with razor-sharp wit that will have me fighting with opponents which moments later will be my best friends.

Then I found this article that explains Ophiuchus.

The current media hype about Ophiuchus as "the new 13th zodiac sign" has sent folks spinning into an astrological identity crisis. But the whole thing is untrue!

"Ophiuchus has nothing to do with western astrology" "It's not an astrology issue. It has to do with the stars -- it's not a sign, it's a constellation."

"There are four seasons each with a beginning, middle and end" "That makes 12 zodiac signs, and there's no such thing as a 13th astrological sign."


Western astrology is based on the four seasons, not on constellations -- and the seasons don't change. There is no 13th sign. Period.




So I think that means I'm still a Crab, which I still thinks suits me better.


It is my nature to be nurturing and emotional, which I believe I truly am. And I've never been a great talker, I'm the one usually stumbling over my own words.


But I will choose to be more of a communicator and not such a homebody. My life has always revolved around my family and home, but now I want to include my life and friendships in that circle. That is what I need in my life now.


It's not easy to change who you are, and I'm not really planning on changing myself, just improving myself. So even if I'm not a Gemini, I am going to do my best to become more of the person I want to be. And hopefully through this new journey in my life, I can realize what I want and what's most important to me.


So, to those who have their astrological signs tattooed onto there bodies, it sounds like your safe for now. And to those who want to make changes in their lives, the time is now  :)

"Definitely Gotta Make This Again Mom!"

First off, it was definitely the right decision to watch the Packer Game and not try to cook something new on Sunday. GO PACK! I would have burnt it, over cooked the noodles AND rushed to throw it together on game night. So, instead we ate cold pizza because the end of the game was more important than a hot meal.


A huge thanks to Em for the big pan for Christmas, it's a lot easier to cook a meal for my big family in one pan instead of trying to do it in two.


Last nights dinner  :)

Again, I got this recipe from: www.campbellskitchen.com

	Shortcut Chicken Cordon Bleu
			Boneless chicken breasts are quickly sautéed and topped with a mouthwatering sauce starring cream of chicken soup, white wine, ham and Swiss cheese.
			Instructions
			Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Stir the soup, water, wine, cheese and ham in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve the chicken and sauce with the noodles.
							At a Glance
							Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes
			Ingredients:
			1 tablespoon butter 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound) 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons Chablis or other dry white wine 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham 4 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

This is a definite make again. Zoe gave it 4 3/4 stars and Audrey gave it 4 stars, as did I. Cameron gave it 1 star, but 1 is his favorite number and the number he always picks, so I rate his from his almost empty plate as SUCCESS!

Emmitt and Castiel ate it too. I just didn't give them as much of the sauce.

And something happened last night that rarely happens in this house. The girls asked for seconds! They usually eat what is on their plate and ask for a snack later. They actually both ate two helpings  :)


The only change I would make next time is to cut the chicken up after browning it. I always have to cut up dinner for the majority of the kids anyways, so next time I will cut it up before I pour in all the stuff to make the sauce. Girls were kinda afraid of the Swiss cheese, but we all agreed that it was great.


K.C. was missing from the meal, working, so leftovers were in fridge for him. He ate it at 9:00pm when he got home, which is sadly normal for him these days. He preferred it to the chicken patty or corn dogs that he usually has me throw in.


Finding a recipe to cook is the hardest part of cooking for me. There are just so many choices and I never know if I'm picking a good one. Thank you to everyone for sending me their family favorites, keep them coming, I plan on using some of them in the future.


So 2 for 2 is pretty good. I'm hoping to keep this streak going.

Cordon Bleu or Green and Gold?

I don't know what I was thinking! There will be no inspirational cooking in my kitchen today.


Packer game at 3:30 with Digiorno Deep Dish pizza and breadsticks for dinner. We don't have a t.v. near the kitchen, so I can't possibly.


Kids are dressed and ready for the game :)

Even my napper is dressed in green and gold. The twins will be going down for their nap around kick off. And yes, I planned it that way.

It's sometimes sucks to be a Packer fan in the land of the Bears. Especially on weekends we don't get to watch the game because a Bears are playing at the same time. We are diehard Packer fans and are raising our children to be the same. I figure it's one of the traditions that we are passing on to our children, even if we live in Illinois for the rest of our lives. We have taken heat for years from the neighbors, but we have also taught them how to grill a brat correctly.


Once, when I was shopping with Cameron, he was around 3 years old, I had him dressed all in Green and Gold. I saw a boy, about 6, look at Cam in disgust and ask his mother "Why is he wearing that?" I smiled at his mother and we shared a laugh and I said "Because the Packers have beaten the Bears twice this season."


Everyone have a great game day.


Go Pack!!!!!

K.C. Gave It 4 Stars!!!

First of all, I had to use K.C.'s name in the title, because he told me I didn't have his permission to use his name in my blog. I'm showing K.C. that I will be using his name in my blog :)


Going to the grocery store inspired me to make a new meal tonight and tomorrow. At least that's the plan. I accomplished tonight's meal and it wasn't painful at all.


Dinner was a success, I think. Well, we decided that it was too messy for the twins, they wouldn't really be able to pick it up well with their fingers. And Cameron didn't get a nap today and fell asleep just before dinner, so he didn't eat, but I knew he wouldn't. So I don't consider it a failure with him, just bad planning.


Girls loved it. Zoe gave it 4 1/2 stars! Audrey gave it 4 stars! And I give myself 3 3/4 stars. I told them that anything over 3 stars means they want me to make it again.


There are definitely a few things that I would change next time I make it. This meal is 5 star worthy, I'll just tweak it next time.


Recipe found on www.campbellskitchen.com 

Beef Taco Bake
			Ground beef, spicy tomato sauce, tortillas and cheese are layered and baked for a hearty one-dish meal.
			Instructions
			Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often.  Pour off any fat. Stir the soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese in the skillet.  Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Cover the baking dish. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
							At a Glance
							Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 30 minutes.
			Ingredients:
			1 pound ground beef 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup 1 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa or Pace® Picante Sauce 1/2 cup milk 6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Cooking went smoothly. I didn't burn anything, forget any ingredients and no one cried when dinner was placed in front of them. So already, I could pat myself on the back before a bite was taken.


Zoe helped cut up the tortillas and black olives, she loves to help in the kitchen and I love the help. K.C. made "Jiffy" Corn Bread muffins to go along with the meal. He was just checking on me, making sure that things weren't going wrong, no trust in my cooking skills, not that I blame him. Not everyone can have a chef as a father.


We made some changes to the recipe. We choose to add Mexican Style Corn to the meat mixture. K.C.'s idea, I give him full credit. It was definitely a good add. We also set the table like we would for taco night. Bowls of black olives, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream, taco sauce and salsa. This made it more kid-friendly, because everyone was able to top their plate however they wanted.


Next time I make this meal, I will add taco seasoning to the meat and maybe some onions too. Needed more flavoring in my opinion.


Overall I consider the meal a success.


My plan isn't to just make 24 new meals and make everything else from a box as normal. I plan on adding all the successes to my regular meal nights. I am now +1 meal for the year  :)

K.C. also asked for credit for the plate presentation. He added the sour cream and tortillas on top, kinda cheesy if you ask me :)


Hoping that it goes this well tomorrow.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Hope I Can

My first meal attempt.

This isn't really my first big meal. I have tried before.

In the past, I have totally gone overboard, became overwhelmed and failed. But even I have had some successes, but failed to continue to try. I have always wanted to love cooking. I just don't feel that I know enough about cooking or food to enjoy it, so it always feels like it takes so much effort. I would love to take a cooking class. Maybe that's something that I will try out this year.

I believe that the more you do something, the more comfortable you get. That is what I am attempting to do. Make myself comfortable in the kitchen. I'll be honest. Most nights I plan, make and serve dinner all within a half hour. I know that a good meal takes more planning than that. I have to set aside the time to make more of an effort.

Also, the fact that I have five kids to please is discouraging. Also my husband :) I don't know if I've ever made a meal that all of them "loved", besides the boring basics like Mac and Cheese with hot dogs. I've gotten them all to eat a meal, but the differences in taste buds are working against me.

I refuse to be a short order cook. 

My least picky eater is Emmitt. Most anything I put infront of him, he eats. LOL, past blog. The only thing he won't eat is buttered noodles, which all the other kids love. And again, boring! Castiel is super picky. I never know if he will eat something or throw it all over my floor. He prefers a liquid diet, juice and milk. Cameron has issues with too much on his plate. I think he gets overwhelmed. Casseroles look scary to him. Audrey hates any red sauce and tuna and will only eat take-out pizza. Zoe will eat just about everything, if she can smother it in hot sauce.

Even when I've made a meal that I'm proud of. K.C.'s plate is empty in two minutes. He eats so fast, I can't believe that he's even tasted it. Which in a way, is as insulting as refusing to eat it. In my head, all I am thinking is "I just spent two hours on that".

So along with the new meals. I think I have to come up with better dinner etiquette for my family to live by. It's not like they are a bunch of monsters at the dinner table, but I can feel that things are starting to get out of control. And with five children, keeping things in control is everything. So I think there might be some new changes to our dinner routine besides my cooking.

So, I have bacon, ground beef and chicken breasts in my freezer and I'm going grocery shopping on Saturday. If you have any suggestions of what I can do with them, send them my way. Please don't send me anything overwhelming to start with. Think basic and delicious. Maybe something that your family loves. I will be looking for something too. First meal is planned for Sunday night.

Wish me luck, I'll need it :)

I would like to think I'm not the only mom with these issues. So I promise to share the recipes and let you know if how many of them ate it.

Cancer's Horoscope for 2011

Just when you thought that life couldn't possibly throw any more twists or turns along life's once tedious path, along comes the unpredictable but exhilarating energy of 2011 (operative word being 'exhilarating'). Partnerships continue to confront you with your deepest needs and fears but your career shows incredible promise and renewal. You receive the lucky touch of Jupiter from January to June. Expect major expansion and recognition on all fronts.

Promotions, opportunities to expand your social world and work-related travel are all potential gifts when the wheel of fortune spins in your favor for the first half of the year. The second half of 2011 brings a spectacular slew of new friends, alliances and networking opportunities when Jupiter moves into your house of dreams, goals and community. Venus showers you with extra doses of love and cash for the month of July, just in time for your birthday. And Mars brings the action, energy and work in August and early September.

Get ready to jet set this spring and/or summer when the planet of glamour enters your long-distance travel sector this April. Your homebody instincts give way to the lure of travel and adventure in 2011. Fall and winter bring the return of dreamy Neptune to your sector of transformation for one last jaunt between August and 2012.

I have always loved reading my horoscope and reading into what it means for me.

My 2011 interpretation

Partnership: K.C. and I were kinda thrown on our heads last year more than once. It was the longest year of our lives together. It's amazing how life has a way of working itself out and putting you on the right track again. Even though you fight it all the way, when you finally sit back and except the changes, you realize everything is going to be okay. The best thing that happened to us last year was the loss of a job. I expect all these changes to still be scary, but we're in it together.

Career: My job as mommy will be rewarding, as it always is. I take great pride in being mommy. But also I hope this means my goal list. I expect that also to be rewarding and I hope for self renewal. The recognition would be from all you wonderful people that support me through my journey. And I thank you already for the kind words of support and encouragement. You don't know how hard it was to hit the "share with Facebook" button for the first time.

I believe that I will build new friendships and renew old friendships from sharing in my journey and look forward to my "slew of new friends". And when Jupiter moves into my "house of dreams", I'm hoping that means, I will be moving into my dream house. I know, a stretch right, but that's how I choose to read that part :) I could always use more love and cash, but I guess I'll have to wait until July for that. And I love Autumn. I always feel energized that time of year. I'll need that energy for my last push to finish out the year successfully.

Good news! Mike And Tracy, looks like you'll have some visitors in Spring or Summer. Katie, you should start looking at what it'll cost for our families to travel by RV, nothing sounds more adventurous to me and hilarious at the same time. It's true, I am a homebody and adventure is exactly what I'm looking for this year. I'm looking forward for transformation by the end of the year and welcome it.

So the year sounds like it's going to be a great one!

Check out your 2011 Overview at http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology 

Productive Day turned ER Visit

So. I booted up my computer, getting ready to do my first major back up of 2010 photos. I was planning on having a productive day, going through a years worth of photos while the boys played . . . I start every day planning on being productive, but then reality happens.

Do you see anything missing from this picture?

What's missing is five hours of my day!

The culprit . . . Emmitt, it always seems to be Emmitt. He's just one of those kids that you look at and you can see their brain working, and I'm not talking about baby genius stuff, I talking about any kind of trouble.

So, he swallowed the red disk off the bottom of the stoplight sign, I think. I didn't actually see him do it. But the gagging, then the throw up and the toy in his hand, I'm guessing he did.

So my pediatrician wanted me to take them to the ER after talking to him. And I agree, it's better to be safe than sorry. So after tracking down a neighbor to watch the other two, off to the ER.

On the way to the hospital, I realized I have never been anywhere with just Emmitt. Every errand, outing and even doctors appointment, it had always been at least "the twins". It's amazing how a child loves to be the center of attention. I've never seen him quite like this before. He made sure that everyone at least looked at him, but he got most to smile, some to wave and even a few that stopped to "talk" with him. It's a funny thing watching a baby "work the room". This may have been his first moment of pure attention he's been able to enjoy. Something that is missing in a twins life.

And it would have been fun, if it weren't for the part were I had to restrain him on a hard table for x-rays or wait 20 minutes for someone to tell us that they couldn't see anything on the x-ray, but considering that what he swallowed wasn't metal, it can't be seen or waiting another 80 minutes for a "specialist" to tell me that it should pass in 72 hours and he may have a stomach ache.

I questioned the guy finally discharging us why the x-ray was done if they knew nothing would be seen. "Kids that swallow things that big could have swallowed more, a kid came in once because the parents saw him eat a screw, upon x-ray they saw the screw and an earring and a quarter and a charm bracelet". So, I guess if nothing else, I can feel good about the fact that my son hasn't swallowed anything metal . . . but who knows what else is in there  :)

Now, do I feel like getting something done . . . I'm going to try.

Here's to the Beginning of a Wonderful Year

So . . . welcome to my blog. I see you've found me :) I will enjoy making my entries and pretend that someone might care. I believe I'll have followers like my mom and mother-in-law, maybe some sisters. I figure, most of the stuff I put on Facebook is about the kids. And not everyone on Facebook cares what my adorable children are doing on a daily basis. So I've decided to put them here, with all the adventures of 2011. I plan on making this a productive, adventurous year . . . and I will catalog it all here. It may look boring at this point, no fun pictures. I am still figuring that all out. There will be plenty of pictures in the future, I promise.


So, this is the last day of the kids two-week break from school. It's been a long crazy one this year. We celebrated Christmas about four times, welcomed a new nephew into the world (who I've yet to see with my own eyes  :(  ), visited my sister-in-law's new house (totally jealous), said good-bye to my brother and sister-in-law that decided to put down roots in Virginia for a while (who we hope to visit soon) and brought in the New Year with three of our five children.


Now I'm home with the kids, looking at all the new piles of gifts that I have to figure out where to store, stash and use. Our house is for sale, so it can't stay like this for long. I've already taken down the Christmas tree and all the Santa's, reindeers and elves. I love them while they are up, but also relieved when they are all put away. I left the random snowflake and snowman, after all, snow will still be around for months. Except an unexpected thunderstorm that rolled through, and melted all our snow.


So today I've decided it's a major clean up day. The girls are working on their room, which needs a major overhaul. The usual three loads of daily laundry are waiting. I've already been in the garage in an attempt to make room for my van . . . almost. I also have to give the twins a bath which is always "fun". My eBay project has made our family room look like a shipping warehouse, but I figure I'm okay with that for now, because hopefully soon, it will all be gone and I'll have more money in my pockets. I figure if I get it all done, or I should say, most of it done today . . . I can start out fresh and new tomorrow, even though the laundry will be there again, it's always there. Not to mention, I have to be done by 3:15, because of the Packer/Bear Game which is a must see! Hopefully they'll do better then the Badgers :(


So, if you are interest, follow me. I might say something interesting from time to time. Or you can just laugh at my crazy life with five children. At least I know that the Grandmas will enjoy, once I have pictures of their grandchildren :)


Got to go, lots to do :)