Thursday, September 25, 2008

Todays Highlights...

  • Slept in. Had lunches and bottles to make and 3 kids to get dressed. Two, who needed their diapers changed again before we left the house.
  • It's picture day at school. I found something appropriate for Alek to wear, which he decided to make fancier by adding various parts of his pirate costume to. Yelling ensued. I guess on the bright side he didn't decide to wear his actual pirate costume (ruffled shirt and all) like he thought he should do the year before.
  • First student was a no-show. So glad I rushed.
  • Told I was bald by a student. Awesome.
  • Found a homeless person's house on our daily lunch "nature walk". It looked like it must have been laundry day. Can't wait to hear what the parents have to say about that one. Also awesome.
  • Alek is going to get his eyes checked. He informed us that everything is blurry out of his right eye. With any luck he'll need glasses. Let's hope that something goes right today and his vision is fine.

And the day is only half over.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Morning Favorites

I've been able to rediscover a few favorite things about mornings since returning back to work.

1. Having lunches ready the night before.
2. Morning air
3. Dropping the kids off at school and the babysitters. Someone else's problem for a few hours LOL!
4. Listening to Rob, Shauna and Rambling Dave on C95. The crap that they come up with cracks me up. I think I missed them the most.
5. Coffee. Coffee by myself.

Pilates.

Last night was the first night of Pilates. Or should have been. Pilates has been changed to... Stripercize. Oy vey.

Lev was a lot more enthusiastic about the change then I was. Let's just say that if there was a show called So you Want to be a Stripper, my dance routine would definitely be in the outtakes. You know, the funny ones that they air in the beginning of the show.

Not sexy. Not sexy at all.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Alek's Sad

Stupid Whiskers ran away. He must have slipped out sometime Friday night and we didn't realize that he was missing until Saturday morning. I still can't believe that he had the guts to move off the front step. Alek insists that we look up and down every street that we drive down. Hopefully that won't keep up for the next 15 years or so. We've been busy thinking up possible scenarios that could be keeping him away. Alek has decided that the police saw Whiskers and saw his natural talents (which Lev and I didn't know that he possessed) and good looks and decided to make him a police cat. Whatever makes him feel better I guess.

I kind of miss the annoying thing. Don't tell anyone that I said that because I'll deny it.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Happy Half-a-Year Birthday Lukas!

Little Lukas is 6 months old today. How did that happen?!? He still seems like such a little baby to me. Maybe I just want to keep him that way because god-willing he'll be the last one that we have LOL! But I know that despite my ignoring the obvious my little baby is growing up. I found him wedged between the couches today which were all the way across the room from where I had layed him down about 2 minutes earlier. He was mighty proud of himself. I would have taken a picture but in true form for around this house I can't find the camera. Lev's convinced that I "lost" it on purpose. I know it's here but, hey, if new one was found in it's place I wouldn't be too heartbroken. If you ever watch Jon & Kate Plus Eight, we have the same camera. Kate and I are kindred spirits in our rants about the camera. I will not rant. Today.

Anyway, we are off for Lev's step-dad's 65th birthday celebration weekend where I have finagled a talented photographer that I know to come and take family pictures. We haven't had a family picture since Alek was 4. We've added two more people since then. And Whiskers. Alek reminded me that he counts too since he thinks he's also my baby. Oy. Stupid cat. I will not rant. Today.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Weary Wednesday

Does anyone else out there feel like life just doesn't want to cut them a break? Then again, maybe it's just us. Sigh

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Busy Bees

We had a busy weekend. Of course, everything seems much more hectic when everyone is sick. On the positive side, Alek just has the ever lingering cough and now Lev is sick too but the rest of us are feeling quite a bit better. I'm hoping that we don't see another cold around here anytime soon!

Lev finally finished up a big project that he's been working on which is great news for all of us but especially him. It will be nice to have time again.

I spent the day with Carmen hard at work sewing baby slings. She's convinced me that we should add them to our offerings under our This Little Piggy banner. I think we had a productive afternoon. Everything seems to go smoother and faster when we are both working on one of our projects. Now if we could find some craft fairs...

Tomorrow's Monday and I return to work. Last week hardly counted for the actual time that I was there. hopefully this week will go much better. I have some interesting students and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.

Tonight we had Enchiladas for supper. As Mikah says; "MMMMMM."

Friday, September 12, 2008

I've Been Cooking Again

I don't know about everyone else but we seem to eat the same thing (or some variation of it) way too often. I have definitely been in a cooking funk for the last few months. So, thanks to various weekly emailed menu plans, and the crock pot ladies blog, and allrecipes.com, I've set about to try to shake it up a bit in the kitchen. So far I've had quite a few winners and one big loser.

Here's the big loser. I don't honestly know what made me try this recipe but I was a woman possessed. I HAD to try it. I was so sure that it would be delicious. God, I was so wrong. It should have been a clue that anyone who heard about it looked sick and then asked me if I was pregnant again.




It. Was. Not. Good.




Now here are some of the winners...


This was delicious. So good that I wish I could make some again right now. Lev ate the leftovers and I was mad. But I'm over it. Sort of :)


I didn't use any chicken and I substituted mild italian sausage for chorizo.










This turned out great. Alek picked out the olives and tomatoes though. Mikah ate it all.
I couldn't find any omitted green olives so I didn't add those and we were out of capers so those were also omitted from the recipe. I made a side of orzo to serve with this. The only thing I would do differently is add some chicken stock so that there would be a bit more sauce to eat with noodles.
The other recipe I made was Souvlaki Meatballs. I made this one up. I made pork and beef greek seasoned meatballs and then baked them in a souvlaki sauce. They were eaten in warm flatbread with tzatziki sauce. The recipe turned out just the way I imagined it would and I'm happy that I made lots so we have 2 frozen bags in the freezer.
Edited to say... stupid formatting. It just doesn't want to line up correctly.

Christmas Project Found

I just came up with a great idea for all of the girls on my list for Christmas this year! I'm thinking more of the little girls but some of the girls-at-heart might enjoy this present as well.

Yay! I'm so excited to get started. You know that I loves me a good crafting project.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

"Oh, Jose..."

I'm missing my little friend Jose tonight.

Is it wrong that there are some days that I would almost kill for a drink?

Is it?

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Slipper Mania

It's been awhile since I last posted but sometimes this mother is simply too exhausted. Lev's been working hard the last couple of weeks which left me at home with the kids full time. Let me just say that I don't know how single mothers do it. These kids can drive me bonkers sometimes. I love them, but they are crazy.

Anywho, today my partner in crime, Carmen, and I took our slippers to a local baby sale and we had a very successful day. It was so nice to see the great reaction that the slippers got from customers and future customers. I think it re-energized us business wise and we can't wait to go material shopping again. Well, I can't anyway! Then we can gear up for another couple crazy weekends of cutting and sewing in anticipation of some future craft shows for this Christmas.

On another note, I go back to work on Monday. Yikes! And as usual I'm not nearly as organized around here as I wanted to be before that happened. What else is new.