Smiles

Recent pictures I like.

Brookelynn and Jobe holding hands.
On a hayrack ride.
Everytime it got a little bumpy, Jobie grabbed her hand.Snapped from the haywagon.
Why it speaks to me, I don't know.
I don't even know what it is saying to me.
I just know that I like it.I can just hear him thinking:
How do I get in here?His aunt told him if he walked with his hands behind his back
the dog would not jump up on him.
He walked all over like this.
Even when the dog wasn't nearby.
He dressed himself, by the way.Mooooooo! Tasty!The only thing missing is Jakie.
He went to a football game with Ryan.
Otherwise this would be my new favorite of the kids.Hope your fall as been as beautiful as ours.

Odd Occurances

There's been odd things happening here lately.
Not odd, odd really.
Just odd.
Unusual.

Jobie has had a fever for 3 days now.
Complaining of his tummy hurting.
In summer.
I thought we weren't supposed to get sick in summer.

I have a cold.
In summer.
No runny nose.
No stuffiness.
Just a cough.
A nasty cough.
The kind that makes everyone around holler "shut UP!"
We're loving like that.

My glass 9x13 pan shattered on me yesterday.
I barely bumped it.
My other two 9x13s are metal.
I don't use the glass one as much.
But for some reason there are certain things I like to make in it.
Have to get a new one.

Our chest freezer went out Wednesday.
It was full.
Full, full.
Fortunately, I discovered it before the meat had thawed.
It was my grandma's.
It was old.
It was gold.
With a faux wood top.
I'm a little sad about it.
I remember that freezer in my grandma's dining room.
Dining room.
We're fancy like that.
Ryan was able to come home a little early.
We ran to Sears before they closed.
And bought a new freezer.
That's money I would have much rather spent elsewhere.

My parents are on vacation.
A few weeks back my dad found a horny toad.
He caught it.
Brought it home.
Bought an aquarium for it.
All because he knew some of the grandkids had never seen one.
He's cool like that.
Brookie named him Steve.
No idea why.
She seemed to take a liking to him.
So my dad asked her to take care of Steve while they were gone.
He brought Steve over.
Gave her money to buy crickets for him.
Ummm.
Steve died.
Tuesday we came home with fresh crickets for him.
He was stiff.
And now we are wondering if Steve is a Stevette.
It looks like Steve died trying to lay eggs.
There's something odd happening "down there".
Brookelynn put Steve in a baggie.
In my freezer.
In the kitchen.
Now every time I open the freezer.
There's Steve.
Neck stretched out.
Mouth hanging open.
Staring at me.
Nice.
She wants Grandpa to perform a funeral.
Won't that be fun?
Her new nickname is Steve Killer.
We're forgiving like that.

Thursday Thoughts

I cleaned my wood and tile floors today.
Oh, plus the baseboards.
On my hands and knees.

Don't get all excited.
Not trying to brag.
We've lived here nearly two years.
This has never happened yet.

Sweep?
Everyday.
Swiffer?
Sometimes.
Spot clean?
Umm...I have 4 kids.

But sometimes nothing works like
scrubbing on your hands and knees.
It's sad.
But true.
Today I forced myself to do just that.

Here were my thoughts as I was scrubbing.

1)I love pandora.
Don't laugh at me.
I just joined.
Listened to it while I scrubbed.

2)This is wearing me out.
I am wimpy.
And out of shape.

3)Considering calling Super Nanny.
Really.
Kid #4 is testing, testing, testing.
On top of that,
we're working on Mission Impossible:
Potty Training.

4)Are dried ketchup and super glue
made of the same ingredients?

5)I want to quit.

6)Pretty sure my back will be killing me tomorrow.

7)Have to wear a shorter skirt to church Sunday.
My knees will look like I've been praying hard all week.
That'll impress everyone.

8)Wait a minute...
But that means I will also have to shave my legs.
Nevermind.

9)How soon will I be yelling at my kids because:
I JUST cleaned the floors!
Probably as soon as they get home from school.
And eat a snack.
And walk all around the house.
And drop crumbs everywhere.

10)Would Super Nanny frown on
the lack of structure in our snacking?

11)If the boys ask one more time:
Mommy, are you done yet?...
Does it look like I'm done?

12)Sure wish the phone would ring.

13)Am I done yet?

Deep thoughts.
By gina entz.

A Recipe with Some Randomness Thrown In

Well, we're back at it.
Between the older two we have 5-6 soccer practices a week.
Lucky for me that a few of those are
same day, same place and nearly same time.

If I don't have something in the oven or crockpot
before we go to practice
the temptation to eat out would be too much.
Would not be good on our wallet or our waists.
Especially mine which seems to have expanded over the winter.
My waist, sadly, not my wallet.

What is it about cold weather that just makes me want to eat?
And eat.
And eat.
I keep telling myself summer is coming...
You will be sorry...
That swimsuit will not fit...
Talking to myself doesn't seem to be working.
I keep eating.

Back to having something in the oven:
Not that I cook the healthiest.
I somehow think cream of anything soups are
not high on nutritionists things to eat.
But they sure do make about anything taste good.
And they are nearly a major food group in our house.

These are the two I used in the recipe below.
I obviously am no respecter of brands.
I will buy whatever is cheapest.
If cream of onion soup came in the Value brand
it would be in my cupboard as a staple.
As it is, that was the first time I had bought it.
Campbell's soups were on sale.
And I had a coupon.

I had never seen cream of onion soup.
You can only imagine my excitement.
I really like onion.
Really like it.
Jake does not.
Really doesn't.
He picks through his food all the time.
Looking for chopped onion.
I'm getting irritated just thinking about it.

When I saw that soup, I thought:
Ha!
I've got him!
I'll fool him now!

I didn't know what I was going to use it in.
Couldn't recall a recipe that called for cream of onion soup.
So, I made up my own.
I really wanted to put cream of celery in too.
Instead of cream of mushroom.
But I didn't have it.

This is what I came up with.
Not sure if these are the exact amounts I used.
I just boiled two chicken breasts.
Cooked some rice.
And threw it all in a bowl.
So I tried to make it sound like I knew what I was doing.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
2-3 cups cooked, diced chicken
3 cups cooked white rice
1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
2 cans cream of ____ soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. diced Velveeta cheese

Mix all ingredients together. Put in greased 9x13 pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
It worked!
Jake had no idea it was oniony.
In fact, all 4 of my kids liked it!
No comments about the broccoli even.
They've asked me when I'm making it again.
Hooray for me!

Nine Unrelated Things

1. These are a collection of pics taken by Ezzie.
Yes, that is a plate with breakfast food on it.
Sometimes my kids sit on the kitchen floor and eat.
2. I find it interesting that I have at least 6 winter coats
and probably the same amount of jackets.
But my kids are lucky if they have one of each.
In my defense, I haven't grown in the last 20 years.
Some of my coats are nearly that old.
3. It is currently 11 degrees with a wind chill of -11.
I would much rather be hot than cold.
I feel sorry for our mail carrier.

4. Ezzie is watching Up for the bazillionth time.
Since he got it for Christmas.
I'm sitting on the couch with the computer
and his head on my lap.
Playing with his hair occasionally.
Love it!

5. Up is a really cute movie.
6. Jakie is currently obsessed with the wii.
We are limiting his time.
He does not appreciate that.
7. Know what my favorite book is?
Gone with the Wind.
Think I need to read it again.
8. We have been watching A LOT of football lately.
I am for Texas in the game tonight.
Big XII all the way.
9. I have done 3 loads of laundry, washed dishes
and cleaned out 2 drawers today.
Many more drawers to go to reach my new year's goal.
I'm also on my fourth cup of coffee.
And have a pounding headache.
Can you get headaches from too much caffeine?

The Weekend and Other Things

We had a great weekend.
Friday night.
Out with friends for supper.
Then to Target for a little Christmas shopping.
We had the kids with us.
So didn't get any of their's done.
But did get our niece and nephews'.

Saturday.
Made waffles for breakfast.
My waffle iron quit after making 3 waffles.
That's the 2nd waffle iron I've killed in our marriage.
Do they not last long?
Or do they not like me?
So we had waffle-pancakes.
Looked a little different than my usual pancakes.

We went to all the furniture stores in town.
To look for a bed for Jake.
And matresses for Brookelynn and Jake.
We didn't find anything for them really.
But we found a bedroom set for us.
Too bad we don't have the money.
We've only had used bedroom furniture.
Someday we'll have a nice, new bedroom set.
Maybe.

I just got interrupted to make breakfast for the little boys.
As I'm standing in the kitchen,
"making" breakfast
i.e. toasting bread
Ezzie and Jobie come crawling into the kitchen.
And Ezzie says to Jobie, in a low voice:
There's the giant that makes our stuff.

In the afternoon we dropped the kids off at Ryan's parents
and went on a rare afternoon date.
The community college where Ryan works

had a Christmas program.
Singing and dancing.
The lady sitting next to Ryan was entertaining.
She was performing her own concert half the time.
And clapping and yelling "Woohoo!" and "Yeah!"
throughout the show.
I couldn't look at Ryan because
I knew I would just start laughing.
And not be able to quit.

Then we picked up the two older kids
and took them to the basketball game at the college.
Love the little boys.
But it was nice and relaxing without them.

Sunday.
Church.
Where we heard a great message.
And had a super Sunday School lesson.
Then some time at my parents.
And a relaxing evening at home.
I don't remember having a whole weekend
to do what we want during this time of year.

Random picture by Ezzie.

Busy week ahead.
And next weekend?
Not so relaxing.