He speaketh!

Behold...he speaketh!! He says the usual, mama, dada, va va...ga ga...but this is the first time that it made sense to me, and he knew what he was referring to! Nana! Banana. His favorite food. It is so amazing to me. Later I asked him if he wanted something to eat and he said, "Yesh"...I was like, "Did he just say yes?". Maybe he says a lot more than I am aware of. I'll have to pay closer attention to what he is really saying. He's probably reciting Shakespeare and I am too tired, or too preoccupied to notice. Did he just say, "What light through yonder window breaks?" :)

Show me some strawberry love

I am so domestic. I actually made homemade strawberry freezer jam today. Domestic Diva right here....You can start calling me Betty. It has been a few years since I have made jam (2002), and it has taken that long to get over the "traumatic" experience. I had never made jam before and had no idea how many strawberries you need to make jam. We went to the U-pick place and started pickin. We picked 30 lbs of strawberries. Yet...somehow...it didn't look like very much. So then I proceeded to buy flats of strawberries. 30lbs, AND 13 flats later (yes I said 13!!) I was headed home to make jam.

All you "Betty's" out there are shaking your head right now because you know that I bought an insane amount of strawberries. I had no idea! On the back of the pectin box it told me I needed 4 pints of strawberries. Huh...how much is that? Oh boy...1 pint is about 2 cups of strawberries. My eyes scanned the mounds and mounds of strawberries and realized that I grossly overestimated. No wonder why the workers at the strawberry patch were looking at me wierd as they were helping me load up my car. I kept saying that I needed more and more strawberries cuz I was makin some jam.


My daunting task of washing and cutting all the stems off of the strawberries, mashing, boiling....boiling some more seemed like it would never end. It was a freakin nightmare! Good thing we had a freezer in the garage because it literally filled the thing up. Today I bought ONE flat of strawberries and this is how much it made.

No wonder it has been 6 years for the strawberry trauma to wear off. 13 flats +30 lbs=nightmare. I feel like I worked through some issues today. I have conquered the jam. I am once again feelin the strawberry love.

Sneaky

I keep finding Jonathan out in the garage. Poor Nathan...I "assumed" that he was leaving the back door open. We've had several talks about leaving the back door open, and he assured me that he was closing the door. (I have seen him leave it open sometimes) How could a baby, who can not even reach the handle open the door? And then I saw this...mystery solved.

Oh boy...I am going to have to keep an even closer watch on this kid. Nathan would never have dreamed of doing something like this. Jonathan is a totally different creature in every way. Of course he is...he is just like me! He is going to give us a run for our money. He is so fiesty!

Shocked!

I just got back from Winco. Yes...I know! I actually went grocery shopping. I don't like the whole process of bagging my own groceries, putting them in the car, bringing them in the house, and putting them away. I don't know if I am lazy, or if I am just a wierdo, but I hate making more trips than necessary while bringing the groceries in. Trent will just shake his head when he watches me balance, and hang 5 bags on each arm, and things in my mouth, and waddle into the house making grunting noises from balancing all the weight. My fingers are white and numb by the time I am done, but hey...I did it in two trips baby!! :)

Anyways...it has been "one of those days" today....not a good day to go shopping. The comfort foods are screaming at me from every aisle. Begging me to buy them. I think that some of them literally jumped off the shelf into my cart. I dont' remember picking up those Pringles, or the vanilla wafers, or frosted strawberry pop-tarts (Pop-tarts? I can't even remember the last time I bought those) or the cocoa krispies, or the Junior Mints....but eat them I must! (I did pass the donuts though...it was hard, but I persevered). I dont' know if this has happened to anyone else, but as I was shopping, I kept getting shocked every time I would touch the shelf. Now I am not talking about a little friendly shock that you get when you rub your feet around on the carpet and touch something. I am talking about a shock that actually would cause me to intake air, and scare me. I was wondering if I was shuffling my feet like an old lady, so I concentrated on picking up my feet. It did not help. It was quite an anxious experience. Why on earth would this be happening?

And then the answer came. It was Divine Intervention. It was a sign from heaven warning me not to buy all that junk food, yet I chose to ignore it. It was better to be electricuted and get my stankin Ding Dongs, then to leave the store with no comfort foods. Oh well, care for some twinkies anyone? :)

O-R-E-O

I work with the children and youth a lot in our church, and there is one thing that is universal among them. Food...It is the universal language. I am a firm believer that whenever you have an activity of some kind, you must have treats. I am helping out with the Stake Youth Choir, so I made some OREO cookies today. These cookies are AWESOME! (thanks for the recipe Ammie, I'm still making them after all these years!) Every time I bring them to an event the kids (and adults) go crazy over them. I thought I would include the recipe here in case you all need something a little sweet. They are super easy. Enjoy!

2 boxes Devils Food Cake Mix
1 cup oil
4 eggs.

Mix all together. Roll into 1 inch balls (kids love doing this, I use my little cookie scoop). Bake 350, 8-10 minutes. (whenever I take cookies out of the oven, I bang the cookie sheet so they flatten, I don't like puffy cookies...works great!) Cool on pan for 5 minutes, and remove to wire wrack to cool. Spread cream cheese frosting in between two cookies and Wa-lah! O-R-E-O heaven. Refrigerate left overs..that is if there are any. (I like to eat mine cold)

Shattered Update

I have an update on my previous post "Shattered". We went over to our neighbors house to ask them if they had been shooting their BB gun last week. LeRoy was so cute, and said that he was. The squirrels are eating their strawberries so he was shooting at one that had a strawberry in it's paws, which if missed, it would go through the fence and shatter our window. I told him it hit our back slider door and shattered it. He was awesome. He said, "I'll take responsibility for it, old Henry next door doesn't get outside anymore, and Merna next door doesn't own a BB gun, so it had to be me". He told me how he waited for the squirrel to crawl down the fence so he wouldn't shoot our kitchen window out. What are the odds that a BB could get through the slats in the fence? His wife came out and we told her what had happened. She said, "I told you that you were going to shoot their kitchen window out" He said something like, "It wasn't their kitchen window, it was their sliding- glass -door". I loved that exchange. Like it really matters which window it is....but hey..I'm sure I'll say the same things when I get older. They are so cute. Trent said later that night, "Was LeRoy standing there inviting us into his home in his boxer shorts?". I was like...um..yeah..I noticed that right off. I wish I could be so comfortible with my body. Not gonna happen in this life.

Phew...glad that we got that figured out. We'll see what happens when I take the estimate over. Yikes! $375 bucks to replace the glass. Thankful that we don't have to cough up $375 bucks..that is almost 3 tanks of gas for our beast.

There he goes!

A whole new world! He gets so excited every time he gets behind his toy and takes off. It must feel like he is on a ride at Disneyland, with how much he giggles. I can't believe he is starting to walk. Amazing.

Big Burp

Conversation with Nathan after we drank a big ole smoothie, it'll be self explanatory.

Nathan: "Old Lady...but can burp big".

I still got it goin on...even though it took me by surprise of the Ginormous-ness of it. Makin memories. Makin fond memories. :)

The Right Stuff II

In the car today (can you tell that we spend a lot of time in the car?) Nathan once again wants to listen to his Highschool Musical CD. He says to me, "Mom, can we listen to #4 without you getting all freaky?" (I think he is still traumatized from my yesterdays performance) I told him I couldn't guarantee anything and I put it in. I slowly started to move and groove, Nathan started to shake his head and look around. And then he says to me, "We should make a video of you and this song and sell it on E-bay. We could call it "Old and Freaky". Wait...no, we could call it, "Old and energetic". Yep...that's the title...Old and Energetic". I agree with the freaky part, and the energetic part...but come on...the OLD part? Sheesh...I have turned into the "old" parent. I remember thinking my parents were old at his age. Wierd thought, I am the same age as they once were. (duh..deep comment eh?) So be on the watch...coming soon to a Theater near you...."Old and Energetic". It should be a #1 box office.

The Right Stuff

Nathan and I were riding in the car, spending some "quality" time together. We were at a stoplight and listening to the Highschool Musical 2 CD. I was feelin my groove thang comin on, so I started movin and a groovin. The shoulders shruggin, head struttin forward and back, and side to side, arms start doin some special moves. I am really feelin the music and struttin my stuff. In fact, I get most of my dance moves from the New Kids on the Block, "You got the Right Stuff" video. If you need a refresher course, here is the link to this song. Good stuff...Real good stuff. Timeless...simply timeless.

Nathan says to me, in the middle of my performance: "Mom, you're embarrassing me (pause)....in Public"

So I did what every good and decent mother would do. I started REALLY exaggerating my moves...the car was really rockin now. Nathan is thoroughly embarrassed, but he starts to laugh, and starts movin and groovin along with me. His groove looked more like he was having a seizure, not like my polished New Kids on the Block moves. He is only 8. He has plenty of time to be as cool as me...the Dancing Queen.

Match made in Heaven

I asked Trent what he wanted for his Fathers Day Feast. I figure that at least once a year I can cook a full blown meal (unless you count cold cereal AND toast as a feast). I'm thinking BBQ'd steak, potatoes, salad, homemade "breadmaker" rolls, yummy dessert...the works. His reply was something like this, "I would like some fried potatoes. I dont' care what else there is as long as there is fried potatoes involved." That's my man. We are a match made in heaven I tell ya. No fancy salads with weeds and walnuts in them, no Recipes with ingredients in them that I have never heard of, just good ole fried potatoes. We had buttermilk pancakes, with strawberries and Fried Potatoes. I'd say that was the perfect meal.

Shattered

Jonathan and I were sitting in the living room playing on the floor, when all of a sudden something hits the window, and this is what I see/hear.

What the?? I was totally freakin. It scared me, and then to see a bullet/beebee hole? I should have looked around, but I packed it up (after taking pictures of course) and left the house early for a meeting I had to be at just in case there was a gunman on the loose, or a disgruntled past boyfriend or something. Trent tells me later that our backdoor neighbors, a really cute grandma/grandpa-ish couple, shoot bee-bee guns in the yard. Huh? I guess he saw them shooting at a blue jay last summer. (I have to agree with them wanting to "get rid of it", or at least scare it away, this particular blue jay is a stinker, and starts squawkin at the crack of dawn) So, now what do I do? What if we go over there, and they deny it? Then what? It's going to cost us about 400 bucks to get it fixed.

When Nathan got home, he was delighted with our new window. He was like, "Wow..we have cool "expensive" glass now. He was referring to the stain glass type window. I told him it's cool and all until someone walks by and it shatters and cuts them all up. Then he proceeded to tell me that we should get all our windows like that so when robbers come and try to break in, they'll get a "special surprise". The surprise of getting all cut up. OK...such a boy thing I guess. I wouldn't put the words "surprise" and "shards of sharp glass" together, but whatever works for my 8 year old. It is pretty I must say.

Any suggestions on how we should handle this situation? Call the sherriff? Go over there and ask them if they were shooting their bb gun? Shoot their window out so we're even? :)

Counter Attack

Nathan and Trent were dinkin around in the kitchen, pushin each other around, swingin at each other...ya know...the typical male bonding stuff. Next thing I know, I hear Nathan crying, or trying not to cry...and he comes back into Jonathan's room with blood all over his face. After we got him all cleaned up this is what was there.
As he was ducking out of the way, he hit his eyelid on the counter and split it right open. It is pretty nasty. Should leave a good scar. Should we have taken him in to get stitches? Maybe...but decided it was better to deal with a possible scar than the trauma of having to get stitches on his eye. Nathan informed me the next day at school that everyone was asking him about his cut on his eye. He told them, "It's a long story". Then he proceeded to tell me that he would just tell them that "My dad hit me". silence. You told them what? "I just told them how my dad hit me". Ummm...not the best way to describe the situation son....especially at school! I am surprised that CPS wasn't knocking at my door that same day. Kids...arent' they great?

Jumpin for Joy

Who knew that a little contraption could bring so much joy and happiness? He'll get jumpin so high sometimes the whole thing is shakin and bendin. It's quite a site. Do they have one in an adult size? Wait...I am so old I would probably get vertigo, or throw my back out, or get nauseous or something. Times have changed. Nathan was learning how to do a cartwheel, and he was doing it all wrong. Me, the cartwheel pro, decided to show him how it was done. It was a rude awakening my friends. My cartwheel was more like a two legged kick/roll. I felt dizzy afterwards, and my wrists hurt for a couple of days trying to support all the "extra" weight. Nathan started laughing, and said that his looked better than that. He was like, "Yeah thanks...for all your "help". No more gymnastics for me. When did this happen?

Gas this baby!

As we are all concerned and cutting back on our activities as to conserve gas, I figured out something today. Jonathan cried for 2 hours today, and wouldnt take a nap. As we got in the beast and drove to baseball, he fell asleep, of course. I dropped the boys off, and in fear of waking the baby, I sat in the parking lot with the van running... and running...and running. Literally watching the gas gage lower, and lower. I can hear the cha-ching of money in head.

Filling up the van: Pricey
Baby screaming, but now sleeping in the econoline beast: Priceless.

Some things are worth paying for. I don't care how much it costs. The price of my sanity? Worth every stinkin penny.

Gas-o-rama

After you have read the post about our gas guzzlin econoline beast, I am now going to respond to a comment from Jim . (I was going to address this issue last night in my original post, but I was too tired)
Jim: So, on a pragmatic level, how does this curtail your daily choices? "Let's go out to X restaurant.""No, let's go to Y to eat ... it's 3.2 miles closer to home."What are you and yours deciding NOT to do based on the price of gas?
What restaurant should we go to Trent? Well, the Kelloggs Cafe sounds good. How about the General Mills Grill. I also heard that the Post Diner is fah-bulous. Who needs to go out to eat when there are endless cold cereal options at home? With gas prices so high, we rarely leave the house as a family to go anywhere. Thank heavens our church is literally around the corner. Netflix, and cereal, what more do you need?

A few years ago, we bought a bare bones honda civic that I drive around for my errands. Thank heavens we did that.

Here's a new solution. Trent is going to tele-commute one day a week from home. (he started today) That will save us one day of driving him to and from work. That should help a little bit.
So yes, we definitely decide whether or not it is worth it to rev up the ole van and go anywhere as a family. Most of the time we stay at home, and have family movie night. Good times...good times.

Trent use to ride the bus to work, which was a whoppin $21 bucks a month for a bus pass, but last September he was riding the bus, and the bus driver took a corner way too fast, and ended up knocking Trent over in his wheelchair. His neck landed on the seat next to him, so his 400 lb wheelchair, and 270 pound body were all balancing on his neck until they could pull over and get him back upright. That was a total nightmare! He was in so much pain for weeks. His neck is fused together and wire was wrapped around the bone (kindof like a twisty tie) to hold it together while it healed after he broke his neck in 1988. Well, in the x-rays it showed a piece of the twisty tie wire had broken off and is just hangin out in the neck tissue now. More dangerous to go in and surgically remove it, then to leave it there. He missed a month of work. So as good as the $21 dollars a month sounds right now, we can not chance that ever happening again. His wheelchair was "tied" down, but obviously not correctly. *sigh*. He is fine now, but it was quite the ordeal.

So there ya have it. The gas prices do dictate what we do and don't do these days. Has anyone else made any changes?

I got gas

We own a 1997 Ford Econoline van. I know...I know. I feel like one hot mama when I drive this thing. I own the road when I am in this beast. It was quite comical when we lived in West LA while Trent was going to Law school. We were literally surrounded by BMW's, mercedes, lexus, rolls royce, you name it...they were everywhere. And right in the middle of all this, was our lucious Ford Econoline handicap Van. I can feel how jealous all of you are arent' you? It's tough being me sometimes. (heh heh). I remember being at a stop light in Beverly Hills, and I had a bunch of bugs on my windshield, and I did what any responsible human being would do. I turned on the wipers and squirted a bunch of wiper fluid. All of a sudden I hear all this vulgar language next to me, at least I am sure it was vulgar, because my window was up so it was muffled. I look next to me, and there is this guy in this gorgeous convertible BMW and I am literally soaking him with all my wiper fluid. It was kindof funny, at least to me. I hope it didn't ruin his leather seats and Armani suit. :)

Anyways...I bought some gas today...or should I say that I had to practically sell my first born son to afford some gas today. My card automatically shuts off at $100. That should be enough right? Not even close. It didn't even get it to 3/4 a tank. *sigh*. When the wind is at our back we get about 8 miles to the gallon. No more joy ridin around here that's for sure! Every 4 or so days when I have to go and fill up our van I have to do the thankful chant. "I am thankful that I have a van. Many people dont' even have that."