No Martini Monday = Tipsy Tuesday...

Unfortunately, there will be no Martini Monday post tonight.  Sigh..  I'm too tired... worked too much this weekend and now I need to actually go to bed.

I have my drink, recipe, pics and thoughts... just have to actually upload pics.

So... without saying too much more, I will instead do a Tipsy Tuesday (you know, you're tipsy from drinking said martini) tomorrow night complete with the following Martini:)

Have a great day!!

Martini Monday - Mochatini

Welcome back to Martini Monday!!  Did you try last weeks martini??

This week, I bring you one of my favorites.  I've been making this one for quite some time.  It's the martini version of a Mocha Latte...kind of..

Did you know that Mocha refers to a type of coffee bean and not to chocolate??  Throughout time and history, Mocha has become associated with a type of chocolaty coffee drink.  And so, with that in mind, this martini includes flavors of coffee and chocolate... YUM!!

Here is the breakdown of ingredients (remember, this will make 2 normal size martinis plus a little extra...normal martini glass that holds 4 shots of liquid)

-Double shot of Espresso (if you don't have an espresso machine, I believe there is instant espresso out there)
             -or you can stop on your way home and pick up 2 shots from your local DD or Starbucks
             -don't want the caffeine...use decaf
-Coffee Liqueur - 2 shots  (you can use Khalua if you like, but the cheap stuff works great too)
-Irish Cream Liqueur - 1.5 shots  (Bailey's if you must...)
-Vanilla Vodka - 1 shot  (if you don't have vanilla, regular is fine...)
-Half & Half - splash (I don't like it too creamy...use milk if that's all you have...this ingredient is definitely to  your taste)
-Chocolate Syrup

Add all of the ingredients to your martini shaker filled with ice.  Shake it up!!  Line your martini glasses with chocolate syrup...

Pour your shaken martini into chocolate lined glass and Enjoy!!

This is me enjoying my concoction:)

Not sure what's on tap for next week.  My hubby requested something with Pineapple...so, I will see what I can come up with!!

Hope you all have a fantastic week.

Martini Monday - Sugar Plum Martini

This week, I have decided to try and re-make the wonderful Sugar Plum Martini that I sampled at the Outback a few weeks ago.  It was super yummy and I needed to re-create it.

The menu of most restaurants will tell you what's in the martini but will not tell you how much of each ingredient is in the drink.  All the more fun, I say, right??  Trial time:)

Following is what is listed on the menu:  Grey Goose Vodka, Elderflower liqueur, DiSarrano Amaretto, Apothec Red Blend, and Pomegranate... mix well and serve in a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Here is me enjoying the one from Outback:

Notice, they also added gumdrop candies to hang from the glass...cute.

OK...so I check out the ingredients and do a bit of research... Elderflower Liqueur is quite a difficult find...I tried 3 different liquor stores.  Apparently, it's pretty popular to put in champagne (according to the clerk at the 3rd and final attempt).  And, a bottle of it (sold through St. Germain brand) has a pretty high price tag.  You see, I am also trying to make these martinis as cheaply as possible with my limited budget:)  So, I did the next best thing, got on the phone to hubby and made him look up possible substitutes for the Elderflower.  According to the all-mighty internet, you can use a liqueur that is berry in nature...for example, blueberry or raspberry...it even recommended Creme de Cassis.  Aha...I found a bottle of Creme de Cassis for $6.99...score!!

Now...onto the Apothec Red Blend.  Did you  know this is a particular red wine??  I don't drink red wine and I had never heard of it.  But, alas, the liquor store clerks knew exactly what I was looking for and pointed me in the right direction.  A bottle of this wine averages $10...and score if you're having guests b/c you can use it as your red wine for the night!!

I have vodka in my house...just not Grey goose and I already had a bottle of the Amaretto (yes, I have the DiSarrano...but they do make a cheaper version...I just happened to already have this one).

Pomegranate- I assumed they meant juice and I generally always have some form of juice in my house.  Pomegranate juice is a great addition to my seltzer during the week...  Oh, and my kids actually drink it too:)

After mixing up the ingredients and playing a bit, I found that a little bit of sour mix (you should all already have this if you have a well-stocked bar) made the drink that much more delightful.

So, here are the ingredients you will need to make the Faux Sugar Plum Martini:
Vodka (whatever brand you have...I had Stoli)
Creme de Cassis
Amaretto
Red Apothic Blend wine
Pomegranate Juice
Sour Mix

Please note that my martini glass holds 10 shots of liquid (yes, I measured it our for you). A typical martini glass holds approximately 4 shots of liquid.  So, my recipe below will make enough for 2 martinis and a little bit extra...hope you have a drinking buddy:)  BTW- my martini glass came from the Dollar Store...

Vodka-         1 shot

Cassis-          3 shots

Amaretto-     1 shot

Wine-           1 shot

Juice-           2 shots

Sour Mix     2 shots

Pour all of your ingredients into a martini shaker that you have already filled with ice.  Shake shake shake and pour into your already rimmed glasses!!

For the rim, you can see I did a regular sugar on it in the picture above.  For some reason, I just didn't like the plain old white sugar.  So, see below...I used honey around the rim and sugar in the raw.  I personally thought this was a much better fit for this martini.

Go ahead and add your gumdrops if you want...I, myself, am not a gumdrop eater so I will skip them.  But, it does make a nice presentation.

Just a quick 'How To'... how to get the sugar to stick to the rim... If you're using plain white sugar, you can just wet the edge of the glass with water (I used a wet paper towel).  Have sugar ready to go on a plate and roll the edge of glass into sugar.

If you're like me and want the crunchier sugar, use honey along the edge of glass as the sugar in the raw won't stick very good with just water.

If you happen to make this, let me know.  Would love to hear how you liked it.

If you have any martinis you want me to try and re-create, just let me know:)  I have no problems with the research!!

Have a great night..er..morning:)

Martini Monday - What is a Martini??

Ahhhhh...the Martini.  I know, I know...I'm a wine drinker not a martini drinker, right???  But, there are times when I do love a good martini...of course, I generally reserve the 'martini' for those Friday nights after a long, long, long, long (you get the picture) week.  But, what is a martini you ask??   OK, so maybe you didn't ask b/c perhaps you already know what it is... or do you??  The martini's of today are NOT the martini's of the past.

According to Wikepedia, the definition of a Martini is such:  The Martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist.

Now, rather than spew out more information regarding the original martini and how it got it's name, I am going to be lame and give you a bunch of links to check it out in case you were interested (see links below)...
It was kinda interesting to read about it and where it might have started from (nobody really knows...but there are some ideas)

You see, my real goal with this whole Martini Monday blog post is to create a weekly martini and share it with you.  Some of my martini's will be completely created from my crazy brain while others will be replicated from a restaurant (you know, where they list the ingredients but don't give you exactly how much of what to put into drink??).  I love to play with ingredients and flavors...some of these will be Awesome but I am sure some will be flops.  If you see a martini somewhere and you want me to try and break it down for you, I'm open to that as well...just let me know:)

The Martini's of today are named more for the glass they are served in and not because they resemble the Original Martini.  Gin...blech...'nuff said.  I used to drink Gin and Tonics in college because they resembled a sprite...but that doesn't mean I liked them:)  So, if you're looking for straight up Gin or Vodka (the imitation original martini) Martini, please do not move forward with reading my stuff.  I am all about the flavorful, frilly, silly, yummy concoctions served up in that long stemmed beautiful glass!! (or the new stemless version of a martini glass...these come in handy if you are prone to knocking drinks over)

And so, as I gear up to start spewing recipes and ratios and splashes of liquids, please make sure you have a Shaker and a Martini glass:)  And I'll see you next Monday with the first of many!!

IN OTHER NEWS...if you're an avid reader of my Honest Mommy entries...here's what's been going on since I last wrote in life and in my head (and I'm just going to list a bunch of crap and you'll know I was busy even though I promised to try and write at least every week...sorry...maybe...I've been busy..lol) Since the end of September:
-Franny turned 3
-Franny started preschool
-Nutcracker auditions
-Nutcracker rehearsals on top of the 11 total dance classes between the 4 kids)
-Polish dance 1-2 per week
-I turned 39...eeeeek... liven it up this year and enjoying every second of it.. um, did you see I was going to be making weekly martini's??  ha ha ha
-Halloween - Franny was sick and didn't dress up, she missed her whole week of Halloween at school
-New gig bartending
-Thanksgiving
-Performing with Jimmy Sturr's Christmas Show
-Performing in the Nutcracker
-Drinking wine
-PTA meetings and things
-Re-visiting my whole photography and trying to boost it a bit   (need some pics, call me...am in the portfolio building stage and looking for some subjects to practice on:)  )
-Re-thinking my cookie business... failure, lack of time, is it worth it, yadda yadda yadda
-Christmas
-New Year's
-Do I go back to school for my masters??  It's never too late, right??
-Potty training a toddler who's not really 100% ready but I just don't want to buy diapers anymore... fun times!!
-Back to school

And here we are...I am sure I missed a bunch of stuff in there...but, I think you get the picture.

Things to look forward to:
-Creating personal goals for the 1st time in my 39 years of life
-Creating a household chore schedule for myself to try and stay on top of it... um... maybe...
-And other stuff I can't think about right now...my brain is about to shut off

Hope you have a Fantastic Day and I will totally see you next Monday!!

Oh, yeah, here are the links I promised you:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_(cocktail)
http://www.sipsmith.com/blog/articles/the-history-of-the-martini
http://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-classic-martini/Content?oid=921951

Not Just a Stay at Home Mom...

9 years ago, this month, hubby and I made the decision that I would not go back to work full-time.. Instead, I would take on the challenges of being a mommy...full-time.  At the time, we had DJ (who was almost 2) and Kyra (who was 3 months old).  We did the math and figured out I would pretty much bring in very limited income with 2 kiddies in daycare.  Mentally, I don't think I was quite ready for it...but...we did it. And here we are with 2 more kiddies thrown into the mix.

It wasn't too long after our decision was made, and I no longer had a job, that we realized we really couldn't make it on 1 salary.  Sooooooooooo, this momma has been on a quest to bring in an income as well.  In the past 9 years I've done what I can, when I can to bring in an income.  In our family structure, my income needed to cover groceries and gas for my car.  I've done everything from bartending, waitressing, baking, picture taking, cleaning, birthday party hostess, babysitting, library work...etc.  Just last year, there were some weeks where I worked 4-5 jobs and basically never had a day off.  We all know parenting is a full-time job, so that is NOT included in my 4-5 job description.  lol

And, we all know that just being the MOM means tons and tons of juggling and scheduling and planning and budgeting.  There is a limitless supply of unpaid (monetarily speaking...hugs and kisses are always there for the taking) chores to do.  Since we all know about those, I'm not going to bore you with them...

Recently, though, I find myself at a crossroads of working.  I no longer babysit (there are so many pros to this... only con is that constant salary) and the temporary bartending gig has ended (I am only the back-up person now with no weekly shift).  I continue to work in the library...but that means Saturdays and Sundays and also means I miss a lot of stuff (ie. soccer, bday parties, events, etc).  I love the library...it just sucks that I basically can only work on weekends (with 1 night thrown in there when I have a 'free' babysitter). And, with no other income coming in, these library checks cannot shrink too much and my budgeting must become very imaginative. Ahhh, yes, budgeting... I hate that word!! I even have a gas budget...

And so, now I must figure out my next step in doing my part.  I don't think hubby knows just how bad I feel when I can't 'bring home the bacon' every week.  Working full-time, during the day would completely change the dynamics of this house...and quite honestly, I am not willing to do that right now.  I want to be home when the kids get off the bus and I want to be home with Franny until she goes off to Kindergarten.  I hate working my 1 night a week b/c it means I am not there to see them and check homework and get them to afterschool activities (I'm a control freak and really hate leaving this stuff to other people...super hard for me...).

But, alas, my thinking cap is on and I know we will get past this.  Everyone has daily struggles in this world.  We all work hard to make sure we do what we can (and I believe that's different for every mom out there...we are all made differently and struggle with our own demons on a daily basis).  So, I will push some cookies and photo sessions and see where that takes me (both are my passion)...And, I will continue to look for that perfect job for right now (you know, like a Facebook Game tester...or maybe getting paid to sleep at night...etc)  The world is still my oyster:)  lol

On a final note, this is what most of us Mom's look like when no one's looking... um... maybe... ok, at least this is what I look like at night after a long day..lol

And now I leave you as I must do some dishes, and sweep Franny out the door:)  Have a great day... I will post a recipe later tonight!!  I'm thinking a dessert is next:)

Adult Hot Apple Cider... Revisited:)

Whew...I am only about 14 hours late for the Recipe Wednesday I promised you.  AND, I am going to be lazy with it...  It has nothing to do with the 2 Polish Dance practices, 1 boot camp, 1 adult ballet class and a twisted ankle..and I didn't happen to just pass out last night or anything..nope...not at all... LOL..

So, with fall coming along quite nicely, I thought I would revisit my Adult Hot Apple Cider recipe.  You know, in case you're having a get together or anything like that..this is perfect in the crockpot... Oh, and the original post was somehow 'Pinned' on Pinterest..how cool is that???

Here's the original post along with recipe:
http://honestfamilyliving.blogspot.com/2011/09/hot-apple-cider-adult-style.html

With all the new vodka flavors out there...I'm thinking that Caramel Vodka might go nicely as an added 'adult' flavor...and, I'm thinking that I may need to make this really soon:)

I've also made this and let simmer for a few hours before refrigerating it into a container.  You can always heat up back up in the microwave...just make sure you shake well as apple cider tends to separate.

Hope you're having a great day!!

The Dirty Dozen... years, that is:)

Wowza... Can you believe it's been 12 years since I vowed to love, honor and cherish my hubby until death do us part???  I know I can't... 12 years... Awesome, don't you think???

Thinking back on the last 12 years, I have to admit that there were some ups and some downs.  We've come so far in our relationship...especially this past year.  If you recall, last year, I pretty much was fed up with  hubby.  BUT... together, we communicated (big thing in relationships..trust me), hashed things out, and moved forward.  Marriage isn't easy...we are constantly changing, growing and adjusting.  So far, we've been able do this together.  And I see us continuing to grow, fight, adjust, love and move forward for the rest of our lives..

I know I've been known to complain, and even bash, hubby.  But, I am his wife and it's my right, isn't it??  When you live with someone for so long, there are bound to be things that get on your nerves.  And as his wife, I should warn you that no one else is allowed any negative thoughts towards him or I will kick your A$$.. lol..

But, alas, I wanted to let you all know what a lucky woman I am to have him in my life...and how lucky my children are to have him as their dad!!  So, here are the TOP 10 things my hubby does that I'm pretty sure not many other men would do or do do (hee hee.. I said do do)...ready, here goes:

1. He goes grocery shopping with 4 kids in tow on weekends while I am working

2. He will help me color icings for my cookies and can even outline and flood them...oh, and recently he 'glued' edible images to cookies while I was bartending so I wouldn't be up all night long..

3. He will give baths/showers to the kids if I am not home and I ask (although he may complain a bit, he does it)

4. He doesn't complain about his dinner...even if it's over-cooked, left-overs, or just plain shitty... he sits and eats it w/o complaint

5. If I leave a list, he does everything on it... (I just have to remember to leave a list otherwise I get annoyed he doesn't do anything I think he should do...lists...they are important)

6. He lets me sleep a bit longer in the morning and will get the kids up for school AND will make their lunches AND will make the coffee!!!

7. He gets up with any kid in the middle of the night...b/c that was the deal after I spent so many nights up with them nursing and stuff when they were babies... Trust me when I say, he's got the good end of this deal:)

8. He does dishes...not everyday... but every once in awhile...even without it on the list:)  Oh, and he will fold laundry...especially after it's been sitting in baskets for more than a week in our living room (laundry is NOT my forte...)

9. HE LOVES HIS KIDS!!  And, they, of course, love him... some days, he is all they want!!

10. HE LOVES ME!!  And I know he would do anything for me..

So, with that being said..I will always love him.  No matter how frustrated I get, I know that together we make an awesome team!!

Steak and Goat Cheese Appetizer

Hello all,

As promised, I am going to begin a Recipe Wednesday thingy with this blog...cool??  Now, it won't always be a food...I may include some drink (adult ones of course) recipes.  They also won't always be easy...so some skill might be needed:)

OK... this one is definitely a very easy recipe and sure to make your appetizer one the guests will remember...trust me:)

Ingredients
1 steak of your choice (a small london broil would work...trust me, you won't need a full one)
Salt/pepper  or seasoning of your choice for steak

2 packages of mini phyllo shells (located in the freezer section of the grocery store near frozen pie crusts)

1 four ounce package of goat cheese
1 eight ounce package of cream cheese
Italian seasoning
Minced garlic

Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar

-Season your steak and let rest to room temperature before grilling.  I grill to a medium rare and let rest a bit
.
-Mix the goat cheese, cream cheese (both should be at room temperature), Italian seasonings and garlic together until creamy.  Place mixture inside plastic bag and zip it up.

-Pour your Balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and bring to a boil..  It doesn't matter how much you put in pan (I always make extra so I have it on hand for leftovers or more steak..)  Add a couple pinches of sugar, stir.  Boil until reduced in half.  For this appetizer, you can make 1/4 cup vinegar and about a tablespoon of sugar and reduce it to about an 1/8 cup..it will also thicken a bit.  This is a Balsamic Reduction...just in case you didn't know:)   Remove from heat and let cool..

It will be finished when the vinegar starts to coat the pan

-Slice your steak thinly and cut into1 inch pieces

Now you're ready to assemble.  If I am bringing this appetizer to somewhere else, I bring all the separate ingredients and put it together upon arrival.  With that being said:
-place your phyllo cups on your serving tray
-Snip a hole in the corner of the bag you placed your goat cheese/cream cheese mixture in and begin squeezing it into the cups...just enough to fill the bottom.
-Place 1 piece of steak on top of each cup
-Drizzle the Balsamic reduction all over dish

Some notes:
-I've tried a few different bases for this appetizer but the phyllo cups are the easiest...to use and to eat.  But, you can also try those bagel chips, italian bread sliced thin slightly toasted, etc.
-Leftover steak and cream mixture??  maybe, maybe not...but in the event that it happens you can make yourself a little flatbread- spread the cream mixture on a soft tortilla, toss on the steak pieces and broil for a few minutes..drizzle with balsamic reduction
-If you want the balsamic reduction thicker, try adding a pat of butter once it has reduced.
-You can store the extra balsamic reduction at room temperature for several months (though, it most likely won't last that long).  Put it in a squeezy bottle or one of those glass bottles meant for oil.
-Don't walk away from your appetizer unless you've already taken one b/c there won't be any left when you come back!!

Hope you all enjoy this one...it's one of my favorites!! AND...it's the first little appetizer that I created all by myself and am pretty proud of it:)

So, hope to see you next Wednesday with another recipe.

Back to School Time...

Hello all... hope you are all doing well out there in Mommy Land:)  Things have been crazy busy hectic around here.  But, alas, the new school year has begun.

I'm sure some of you are happy...ecstatic even.  And I know some of you are sad to see them go off into the big bad world.  This year is a little different for me...as I am usually pretty happy with shoving them up the steps of that big yellow bus.  But, alas, this year I have a Kindergartner on my hands.

Yes, it's true.  My little man Max has grown up way too fast and entered the land of school.  My Max.  I know.  I know we shouldn't have favorites among our own kids.  BUT...he's my little mush ball of love that has entertained me from day 1.  He's never been in daycare and I've always been with him.  AND... he has this little charismatic way of keeping me entertained throughout my day...even though there are times when I just needed him to stop talking...I will miss him.  I know Franny will miss him too... She keeps telling me that she's 5 and going to Kindergarten too:(  Nope...not yet Franny Girl!!

I like to call the year of Kindergarten:  'The year of Conforming to meet Societies Expectations'.  Once you enter school, there are rules and expectations of the little people.  There can be no streaking down the hallways, no pooping in the nude, no walking around in just your undies...nope...this is the year they learn to keep their clothes, shoes and socks on.  This is the year they learn that the sky really is blue and you should color your skies in your pictures blue as well.  This is the year where grazing throughout the day is not OK.  Nope...you eat lunch at the same time every day and get your snack at the same time every day.  This is the year you will learn that papers need to be put in their proper place (your folder...or mommy gets mad)..

But...this is also the year where you learn to leave the nest a bit and test out everything you've learned in the precious 5 years you were home.  I know, I know...he went to preschool, so some of these things he already had figured out...but not everything.  Not yet.

I hope he can keep his little personality and all his quirks and not drive his teacher Mad.  I hope he makes new friends and learns to read and write a little better.  I hope his teacher enjoys him as much as I have!! I hope he has a blast!!

I know...it's not the end of the world.  But there is a little piece of me that is missing with him gone all day!!  I even cried this year when he hopped, skipped and laughed onto the bus.  He's excited about all this Big Boy stuff and so am I .. really.. I am... just a little sad at the same time.

The 2 older kiddies were somewhat happy to go back but not happy about an earlier bed-time and an earlier wake up time.  I wish for a great year for both of them as well!!  Oh, and while I'm wishing...not so much homework this year.  Lol

I hope, if you have kiddies in school, that you had a great beginning.  Here's to a great school year!!

Oh, and just so you know, this momma has already screwed up this year.. yup..on Max's 1st 1/2 day of school, the momma forgot to send in a lunch.  1/2 day for the past 5 years meant no lunch.  Completely forgot that these 1st two days of school for kindergarten, lunch is served.  Oops..

PS- I have a goal...yes, it's true.  My goal is to do this at least once a week with some recipes thrown in there..  including some drink specials:)

And here are a few more from the 1st day of school:)

 

High School Reunion...OMG- 20 Years

Wow...can you believe I graduated High School 20 years ago???  I know I can't!!  Time sure does have a way of sneaking up on you...

Saturday night, I had the pleasure of revisiting my past...the good, the bad and the ugly.  Of course, most of it was all in my brain all week prior...  You see, I didn't really enjoy high school and my perspective of who I was at that point in my life is not a good one.  I remember being shy and awkward.  I had a small group of friends but mostly floated through every group there was.  I was a band geek, honor geek, cheerleader, class representative, school musicals, dance, newspaper and yearbook person, spanish club, fashionably awkward (yeah, I never wore the 'cool' clothes), worked a part-time job, drove a mini-van to school...etc.  Yup...kinda dorky all around.  I also had the distinct pleasure of dealing with Mean Boys.  Yes, I said 'boys'..  The girls were ok and I did get some weird looks from them (I told you, I was fashionably awkward, right??)...but...they never actually made nasty comments to me...like those boys did.  It's too bad I truly didn't give a shit back then like I do now:)  lol...

With that being said...I think it's safe to say that I am not the same person I was 20 years ago.  I'd like to think we've all grown up and into our selves by now, wouldn't you??  I definitely have more confidence and I definitely don't take things as personally I used to. I still have my low self esteem days...but I just try to avoid people on those days;)  Seeing all these people from High School gave me a bit of anxiety last week...but it also put some things into perspective for me (things I had already learned but felt good hearing them from others).  And here they are:

- Just because you think you are a loser 'ish' person in HS, doesn't mean everyone else did.  I made a comment about that on saturday night and the response I got made me feel so much better.  Someone told me that they didn't think I was a 'loser' per say..but a free spirit who beat to the rhythm of her own drum.  I was a floater... a dorky floater..  but I guess what they saw and I didn't is who I am today

- Just because the boy you asked to Prom said 'NO', doesn't mean he didn't like you (as a friend..and I did ask a boy to prom but not because I liked him liked him...but b/c he was one of the nice ones..you know??).  It could just mean that he had his heart set on going with someone else.. And it doesn't help to learn that said boy had a miserable time at prom with said girl:)

- Just because you weren't friends with these people in HS, doesn't mean you can't be friends with them now.  I am even friends with one of those girls who gave me dirty looks in HS...

- Just because you were a fashion disaster in HS, doesn't mean you have to be one now.  OK...so I still am..sometimes.. ok.. most of the time..  I mean, where can you actually learn what undergarment crap goes with what clothes??  Seriously, you could see that stupid bra of mine in every picture... yeah, you can still try to dress me up but I'm not making any promises:)

- Who cares what others think of you as long as you are Happy...with your self, your body and who you've become!!  No one can take that away from you:)

- Some people change for the better..some for the worse..and some not at all..

- Every experience in HS helped make you who you are today.  What you do with your experiences are up to you!!

It really was a great time catching up with everyone and seeing how everyone has changed!!  It's probably not as fun as reunions used to be pre-facebook because we can see what everyone's up to already... but it was great to actually see people in the flesh and have a conversation!!

With that, I will leave you with a few 'dorky' pics from the past:)

A Day in the Life of My T-Ball Player...

Baseball season is upon us and with that we have added a new player to the spring sport... My little Max.  And with Max playing T-ball, I am reminded of how wonderful it is to watch the little ones learn a new sport.  Oh, and yes, it's pretty entertaining to watch:)

So, here, in pictures, is a Day in Max's T-ball career for you to enjoy (with captions of course..lol)

Whoo Hoo... I'm playing T-ball, I'm playing t-ball:)

OK... I got the ball, now what??

Oh,yeah, throw to first and hope it makes it:)

I'm gonna run after every single ball and get it..every time!!

Yeah Baby.. I rock at this chasing the ball stuff..

See..I beat them all and got the ball.  I am king!!

But, I don't care that the inning isn't over.. I want a drink.  I'm done chasing the ball all over the field..those other kids can have it..

Oh yeah... a fence to climb.. this is a cool sport!!

Whew.. I made it to 2nd base and I am done.  What, you mean I have to keep running to home??

I'm playing 1st base...what does it look like I'm doing??

It came right to me..and I got it:)

This dirt is really cool... what should we build with it while you're on first and I'm supposed to be paying attention to the game??

Thumbs up Mommy.. I'm doing it, right??  right??

Hmph.. I knocked it off out of bounds:(

And then I hit it towards the big clump of kids on the other team so I ran really fast to get to 1st!!

This helmet is too big and it's itching my head...Get it OFF!!

Yeah Baby:)

I'm loving watching him 'play' this year.  I'm loving watching all the little ones play!!  They are still all so innocent and just want to play with no worries about winning and losing!!

Hope you're enjoying it as well:)  And if you don't have a little one playing, go a watch a game..it's FUN!!!

The 'Rules' of Driving you won't find in the Manual...

As a mom of 4 and lots of activities, I find myself on the road a lot these days..  Especially now that we have entered Little League Season.. You know, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to let 2 of them join in the spring time fun of baseball (which entails practices and 1-2 games per week per kid).. But, I digress.. let's talk about Driving:)

As I wonder around aimlessly in my car every day, I am noticing some things happening that I never learned while in Driver's Ed.  I'm thinking they changed the laws about driving without my knowledge...and perhaps without yours as well.  And so, I am here to tell you what we should be doing on the road instead of what they taught us:)

1. Whenever you are making a Left-hand turn, please make sure you are all the way on the right side of the lane.  This will not allow any drivers to continue on their route and will most likely piss some of them off.  Just wave a smile as they beep at you when you are finally able to turn.

2.  Also, when making a Left-hand turn, please go the speed limit, don't use your blinker and slam on your breaks when you notice you are about to miss your turn.  Oh, and then turn your blinker on while you are in the right side of the lane waiting to turn left.

3. Never ever look both directions even when you are making a Right-hand turn.  It doesn't matter that a HUGE semi pulling a wide load is actually on the wrong side of the road and heading straight for you.. just keep on going and try to dart out of their way.

4. When there is a merging of 2 lanes into 1.. speed up and try to cut off as many people as possible.  You will totally get to wherever you're going a lot (and I mean A LOT) faster by cutting off just one more person even if you have to drive on the side of the road, thus spitting up all the rocks at other cars.  Being polite and going every other person is no longer the 'in' thing to do.

5. Also, when merging from 2 lanes into 1.. if cutting everyone else off isn't an option, please tail the person in front of you so that no one else can potentially cut you off.

6. When following someone through a Village Speed Limit of 30 MPH, you can now speed up and pass them with reckless abandonment..  and yes, you Must do this when there is a double yellow line.  Those lines mean nothing these days so pass away whenever and wherever you are going!!

7. Should you enjoy sight seeing while driving on a high-way, you Must stay in the Left hand lane and go the same speed as the person to your right.  This will make sure no one should ever be able to pass you.

8. When you see someone waiting to turn, putting them in front of you on the road, you should speed up so they think they don't have enough time to pull out but then slow down so they can become annoyed that they really could have made it out before you got there. Give a huge smile and wave as you drive by them.

9. Back on the Highway... when someone is coming up on your Left (shame on you for moving to the right hand lane) and they are about to pass you, make sure you speed up to match their speed thereby making them think they can't get past you so they pulled behind you..slow down again until they try to pass you again and repeat as often as possible.

10. And finally, when you are a mile away from a light and you see it turn to Yellow, you must always floor it so that you can breeze through the light just after it turns Red.  I mean, you are the one with somewhere to be that is way more important then anyone else so they should all just wait for you to make it through, right??

I hope you all find these new rules of the road helpful!!  Have a great day:)

PS- I feel I need to put this in here as a disclaimer so bear with me-  These rulues of the road are totally bogus.. do not follow them..

A Mom's Quest for Perfection...

Hold the presses everyone, I am actually sitting at the computer with nothing else to do tonight but write a blog... AND, it's way before midnight:)  Wow, are you impressed??  I gotta admit, I am pretty darn impressed with myself..LOL..

Life around here has been pretty hectic.. I don't know why.  Perhaps it's the four 2-legged animals running around here (you know, my children)??  Nah... Maybe it's all the activities said 2-legged animals have going on??  Nah... Or perhaps, it's all that paid and unpaid work I have going on??  Nope, couldn't be that.  I know, I know.. Nope, I don't know.. Well, anyway, I'm thinking of trying to get back into the swing of things here in the Blog World.  I hope I haven't lost you...and if  I have, I hope you'll join me again on my adventures through life:)

So, that brings me to my topic in question- A Mom's Quest for Perfection.  Hmmmmm... Crazy, right??  I have been a Mom for a little over 10 years and it's taken me this long to realize that I am totally not perfect.  Nobody is.  You can try, but you will probably die trying or be so miserable trying to please everyone that you'll start to break.  I broke... literally.  I am no hero...except of course when we don the capes and fly around the living room pretending to save the world.  I, as I'm sure you do too, try my hardest to be the BEST Mom that only I know how to be!!  We are all so different and we all have so many different talents and, um, also, those, um not so great talents, right???

Well, I just wanted to share with you all of my, um, not so great 'talents' with you just to make you all feel better about yourselves, ok??  So, here goes:

1. I am a terrible house keeper.  I really suck at cleaning and have always hated it.  And, so, I let it slide and slide until I can't stand it anymore and my head starts to spin around and smoke spews from my nostrils and ears and I just go on a humongous cleaning spree whilst yelling at whoever gets in my way to go pick up some crap before I throw it away and go vacuum your room, etc.  Just ask my hubby...he can attest to the smoke and head turning thing:)

2. I love to bake...  but... I have a really really hard time letting my kids 'help' me.  I am a perfectionist and want it all to be just perfect (do you sense a theme here..).  But, I've come to realize that whatever they make and however much mess they make (that I will be cleaning up all by myself) is totally perfect because they made it...and, we did it together.  This past Thanksgiving, I helped Kyra make an apple pie and she was so proud of it.  So, I've let go (sometimes) and let them join in..Look, there's proof..

3. I lose it.  Yup...pretty much every day.  Sometimes it's huge and other times it's lots of little blow-ups... but I lose it.  The 'every day' ones occur like clock-work as follows:
7:40am - DJ get your shoes on, get your jacket on, don't forget your lunch... WHAT DAY IS IT AT SCHOOL?????  do you need your clarinet??  Where are your library books??  Kyra- hurry up and get Franny's shoes and jacket on..  WE ARE GOING TO MISS THE BUS HURRY UP AND GET OUT TO THE CAR SO WE CAN MAKE IT I AM NOT DRIVING YOU TO SCHOOL!!!  DJ and MAX - go directly to the car..do not jump in puddles, do not trudge through the snow, do not walk through the wet grass!!  GET IN THE CAR NOW!!!!!

We have a lull for most of the day with the exception of Max and Franny pulling every single book off the book shelf as quietly as possible while Mommy is doing the dishes.. Or drawing on each others faces with marker because they wanted to be Ninja Warriors while Mommy is desperately trying to go through pictures on the computer.  Or, stuffing toilet paper in the toilet and/or getting water all over the bathroom and shoving training toilet seats over the other ones head that will eventually have to be cut off b/c it won't go back off while Mommy is bringing the laundry into the doldrums of the basement..  you get the point here, right??

3:30pm - Maximo, get your clothes back on...we have to get to the bus.. where are your socks??  What did you do with your socks??  Get your shoes on..  come on Max, please get your clothes back on...

4:15pm - DJ, please sit down and do you homework.. Maximo, stay out of the dining room while DJ is doing homework.. Franny - get back in the playroom until homework is over..  Usually, I am trying to get dinner ready, help with homework, keep Max/Franny away from DJ/Kyra, change a poopy diaper, etc during this time

OK, those are the major 'lose it' moments.  There are totally more... but, this could get ugly and I could go on and on and you could totally lose interest or maybe have me arrested or something??  Hey, there's an idea... will they feed me and is it quiet there???  Just kidding:)

4. I am selfish...sometimes.  I tend to hoard certain candies and hide them and not share them..  I do the same thing with my drinks.  All of my drinks.. from cans of soda, bottles of iced tea and my wine.  I don't like to share these things...

5. I have a tendency to wear the same clothes for multiple days.. sue me.. I'm not going anywhere and it saves on laundry, ok??  And it's not like I actually get to shower every day or anything.. I'm lucky I get my once a week overhaul..

6. When my children cry out in the middle of the night, I make hubby go get them.  I pretend to be asleep and gently kick him awake so he hears them, thereby forcing him out of bed to see what's the matter.  It's nice and cozy warm under those blankets and I figure I've been awake with them more hours then him due to lots and lots of nursing in the wee hours of the night... It's only fair, right??

7. I am a smoker.  Yup, that's right.  I smoke cigarettes.  Stop judging me b/c I'm addicted to nicotine.  I don't smoke in my house or in my car or at the school (well, except when it's night time and I've got a smoking buddy in the parking lot and I feel giddy b/c I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing on school grounds b/c I never ever did anything wrong in high school so I'm making up for it, ok)  We all know it's bad for you...I don't need lectures.. I'm sure everyone's got a dirty little habit .. right??

8. I hate confrontation.  I am learning, though, that sometimes this has to be done.  Especially when it involves my children..  Other than that, though, I have a tendency to ignore the problem and hope it goes away..  I'm a wimp that way..

9. Crafts.. um, yeah, I dread them.  Especially the cleaning up part.  I know they love to do them, but that doesn't mean I have to love it too, right???  And let's not talk about anything to do with sewing.  My own kids have already started asking someone else to sew something back up for them b/c they know that this Mommy is helpless with a needle and thread.. though, maybe if I could actually get the thread through the eye of the needle I might just have something there??  Maybe??

10. I'm thinking... I like to have a nice rounded out list of 10 so I need to think of something else.. wait for it, wait for it... Um, nope can't think of anything else. Oh wait... I just remembered- I am late for everything.  It doesn't matter how much time I give myself to get us all out the door, we are ALWAYS late.  It doesn't even matter if it's just me leaving the house.  I am always late..  sorry... at least you all know now that I will be late!!

Look.. the bottom line is this - There is no such thing as a Perfect Mom.  Seriously.  If you think you're perfect, well, maybe you are.  But more then likely, you're just like me...  You're perfect in your own special way tailored made for your very own kids!!

Be crazy
Be spontaneous
Be YOU!!

Oh, and stop judging other moms b/c we all do what we can!!  Unless of course they are totally doing something so outrageously wrong and really need to be called out on it..  Just be gentle:)

Hope you are all having a fabulous evening!!  And I hope you enjoyed this post:)  And remember, Party On!!

Holiday Season Hangover

Ok, so you see the word hangover and I know you're thinking it has something to do with the wonderful world of spirits, right???

By definition, the word hangover means:  a popular term for a group of disagreeable physical effects, including nausea, thirst, fatigue, headache, and irritability, resulting from the heavy consumption of alcohol and/or certain drugs.

I recently experienced these symptoms...but not from drinking (I know, you're surprised...)... more from the time period of Weekend before Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas.  Yes, folks, on December 26 I threw myself on the couch and declared myself unfit to parent for the day.  I was also unable to move due to headache, body aches, fatigue and a highly irritable attitude.  My children were ordered to seek Daddy on this day so that Mommy could begin the recuperation of the Holidays.

Having 4 children always makes for a certain level of chaos.  Having 4 children, a baking business that gets busy during the holidays, extra dance rehearsals due to Nutcracker, winter concerts, babysitting/library job, hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve AND Christmas, being sick, etc tend to make the chaos soar through the roof.  Actually, this year, I think it may have been blown up and into space...but that's just my opinion.  It was too much for me (mind and body) to handle.  Here it is January 16 and I think I might have fully recuperated.

Why, you might ask, did we plan all that we did.  I sometimes ask myself that very same question...all the time.  Let me explain a bit...

Nutcracker - We have done the Nutcracker for the past 5 years.  It has become a bit of a tradition around here.  Like last year, DJ, Kyra and myself were involved.  Unlike last year, Kyra was also roped into doing an additional dance that was on top of the Nutcracker rehearsals.  A dance number that performed at the mall as well as part of the pre-show of the Nutcracker.  This also included 1-2 additional rehearsals each week.  She will not be doing that again next year.  It was great and she looked fabulous and had a new experience of dancing in the mall...but it is just not for us.

My Baking - This is my dream.  And as such, my baking does not get started until after the babies go to bed, dinner is cleaned up and my kitchen is spotless.  Because that is when I can get it done, I generally don't start this until about 9:00pm.  Which also pushes my bedtime way past midnight for a few nights during the holidays.  Someone mentioned to me that maybe I should take a break from this... I don't know how I feel about that.  I am really starting to make something of my 'talents' and attract more business... It is a slow and steady pace that I'm going at and is only hectic around these already hectic holidays.  The rest of the year is much more manageable.. So, I will not be giving this up. 

Thanksgiving - I wanted to order Chinese food and veg with my family on that day.  But, alas, the in-laws had no where else to go and wound up at our house.  I was told 'Don't go through too much trouble'.  But, I also know that the traditional meal was expected and it doesn't matter how many people you are making it for, it is always a lot of work.  Sure, I could've just ordered up that Chinese food and made them eat it as well...right???  Thank goodness for hubby as this momma wound up in bed for a bit trying to get rid of a migraine.. totally walked out after doing the dishes and made hubby entertain his parents..

Christmas Eve - again, I did not want to host this night either.  However, it somehow wound up at our house anyway.  This is the Hubby Family gathering.  Way back when, this always used to be at my MIL's house.  In the past couple years, the boys (hubby and his brothers) have decided that it can't really be there as MIL really can't be cleaning and prepping and cleaning up as much as she used to.  No one else was willing to do it this year and so it wound up here.  Even though everyone chipped in with food - there is still the cleaning (cleaned out the playroom to avoid certain toys getting broken), baking the frozen appetizers that were brought, cleaning up the mess and washing the dishes when they all left, etc... you know how it goes.  And of course, there's all of the presents that still needed to be wrapped b/c we always leave it to the end... oh, and throw in there a useless hubby moment b/c he wound up feeling gross and couldn't help out with those presents that still needed wrapping.. 

Christmas Day - this holiday was always planned and I had no problems with it.. It's just a little hard to wake up early (or earlier than usual) after being up super late wrapping presents:)  This year, Christmas was the final nail in my coffin though .. another day of prepping, cleaning, etc.  At least there were extra hands on this day to help with it all... 

Day after Christmas = Mommy staring glossy eyed at the TV with no idea what's going on around her (think Goldie Hawn in that movie Overboard...lol...)

New Year's Eve is our 'family' holiday.  We buy junk food appetizers, chips/dip, shrimp and sometimes a lobster and eat all night long.  We also play games and just hang out with each other.  So, this holiday doesn't really get hectic.  

And so, this brings us to the middle of January... DJ turned 10 two days ago and I almost didn't get cupcakes/snacks into school for him.  His 'birthday' party was just finalized 3 days ago and is just family (half of them can't make it) and I'm trying to throw in a Movie Night with him and a friend..last minute of course.  This is where that Mommy guilt creeps in on you but you figure it out and move on, right??

Going forward - I love writing.  I love sharing my stories with you all and hearing your feedback.  I am still going to write... my goal is to have an entry once a week.  I have so many ideas about entries for this year!!  

I hope you are all having a great day and New Year so far..

'Tis the Season...

Wow... less then 2 weeks and it's Christmas.  How in the world did that happen so fast??  

I gotta say, I'm not one of those 'Go all out' Christmas People.  I kinda fly by the seat of my pants and get things done at the last minute.  This year seems to be even more crazy busy then in the past.  And crazy stressful too.  I mean, who isn't stressed during this time of year??  You've got holiday parties, holiday concerts, dance (for us, it's Nutcracker time), shopping, yadda yadda yadda.  

My most stressful thing is shopping...and how am I going to get it all done as well as get everything I need for everyone on my list at a reasonable price... and than figure out how to get my own kids something.  Hubby usually gets the shaft in terms of presents b/c I just don't have it to give... I know, I know- planning is key, right??  But when I am on a week to week budget based on what my take-home pay is, these holiday extras can be a royal pain in the ass.  I know, it's also about what you give and not what you get.  I get that.  It just gets frustrating and challenging to try and explain to your kids why so and so at school got the IT gift of the year from Santa but they didn't.  Why would Santa not give the same to all the kids??  

Sidebar- which also brings me to the Freakin’ Toothfairy.  Shouldn’t there be some kind of guidelines for doling out cash for teeth??  We give out $5 for the first tooth and $1 for each additional tooth.  My kids come home telling me that someone in their class got $20 for a tooth (and it wasn’t the first one).  Limits, people, Limits!!  DJ doesn’t even bother leaving his teeth anymore b/c I also make them write a note to the Toothfairy and he doesn’t think a buck is enough to write a letter…

Now, back to Christmas Season… so, I’m stressed, tired and a little bit crazy.  Oh, ok, a lot crazy but you already knew that.  I just feel like there is NO time to get anything accomplished these days:(

Oh, and don't forget those Holiday Cards..you know, the ones you've been getting since December 1st??  How in the world do people get those cards made and in the mail so early??  Mine are usual sent the day before Christmas (if we're all lucky) and turn into Happy New Year cards:)  If you're lucky, that is..  maybe you'll get them sometime in January as a Just Because card??  Or maybe the picture will be taken, and the cards will be printed but they will never get stuffed and addressed and mailed??  We'll see how this year goes.. lol

And, yes, that other thing called 'Teacher Gifts'.  The mom handling this lovely thing at Max's preschool is asking for $20 from each parent... Are they serious??  I think I was the only one who had a problem with that amount...am I wrong here??  I never was one to go in on the 'group' gift b/c I liked to personalize it, you know??  20 bucks is just ridiculous!! Especially when you do have 2 other teachers to think about...what are they going to want when Franny makes it to pre-school??

Luckily... all of our Saturday rehearsals were cancelled so we can ALL go and get a tree!! Whoo Hoo...

I just can't wait to spend some time together as as family during their break from school (remind me I said this while I'm complaining that they are home...ok??) and perhaps reconnect with each other.

On a positive note, we do have Christmas lights on our house this year (we've been in this house for 8.5 years and this is a first for us).  On a negative note, one of the extension chords used in keeping them lit has broken off in the outlet:(  

Hope you can enjoy your holiday season a little less stressful then over here!!

Random things you may overhear (if you were a fly on our wall)

OK... took a break.. life got hectic and I kept passing out on the couch at night... so, here's to Not Passing Out tonight before Writing:)

And here are some random things you might here if you were a fly on our walls (and car doors..)

'Franny, get the pencil out of the orange slices..'

'Please put your clothes back on... Now... PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON'

'Go upstairs and get me all of your dirty clothes'   now, repeat this about 10 times and you might actually accumulate everything from the closet, under the bed, in the middle of the floor, under the desk, shoved behind the crib...

'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'   that eventually turns into 'Everyone STOP TALKING, Please, just STOP SPEAKING to each other!!'

'I will miss you when you go to work on Saturday'  (as said about 100x every day until Saturday and then it turns into 'I missed you so much while you were at work today'  until Sunday, when it changes back to the first statement)

'Max, stop crying/whining/screaming or you can sit in time out to do it'  (said several times a day... trying to ignore his crying/screaming/whining is really hard... he's really good at it)

'Please walk on your feet from the door to the table, with your backpack.  Do not fall over, do handstands, trip over non-existent things, stop drop and roll, etc while doing it.'

'oh, no, don't climb up there...'

'Get your hands out of your Butt'

'Ah, Franny...don't pee on the floor'  (I swear, I'm going to start putting newspaper down on the floor soon)

'Sit down'  (this is said to Franny who likes to stand on chairs and to DJ who can't seem to sit in a chair while eating dinner and/or do homework)

'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO'

'mom... Mom.. MOm... MOM... '

'He's looking at me... she's touching me.. stop singing.. you're being annoying.. yadda yadda yadda'

'I didn't do it, Not me, I don't know'

What would we hear on your walls??  Care to share:)

Hope you're having a fabulous day!!