Are You Ready for some FOOTBALL????

Well, are ya???

We are in definite game mode around here!  Not because we're big Steelers or Cardinals fans, but because we love to have fun with our family and celebrate good times with good food!  You know how many times I've said how big I am into "themes" and Super Bowl is no different.  Look at this way cool stuff we found at Target for the game.  I love it!!  And hubby has been working on the menu, and is out shopping for it all right now!  He didn't want to take a chance for there to be a mad rush this weekend.  On tap are Brats sausages, brisket, "fat boy burgers", wings of course, and lots of dips & chips!  Yum yum!!  No worries, we're not just eating it all ourselves...we've got my brother, Brandon & Haley, our niece Maggie & her new awesome boyfriend, Brian, our nephew, Ben, and our crew.  My sister and her hubby are ditchin' us for some work related party...WHATEVER!!!  They can't possibly have the menu OR party goods that we have!  

Annie's 2nd grade at school, the entire 2nd grade staff, is even getting in on the act, and inviting all the kids and their families to come out tomorrow for a "Super Bowl" bowling event at the alley down the road.  Should be lots of fun!  This will be a great weekend to watch some awesome football movies too!  Our top 3 favorite football movies that we could watch over & over are Jerry Maguire, The Replacements, and Remember the Titans.  If you've never seen those, surprise your hubby and rent one to watch together on the couch...he might even do the dishes for you!!  They are wonderful, heartfelt stories!  Love them all!!

Have a SUPER BOWL'in good time this weekend!!  

What are your plans for the big game???

It's that Time!!!

Actually, it's waaaay past time.  Time for that lovely annual exam at the gynecologist.  You know the one I'm talking about.  Yep, that's the one!  I was due to go last Spring, then had my appointment set for June, then my grandmother passed away, so I had to cancel.  It's now taken me this long to reschedule it for tomorrow. So, it's not exactly MY annual exam, but my "first exam in 21 months" exam.  Don't ask me why.  Half the time I just forget.  The other times I was working on STOMP for Annie and Jack's school.  Then there were Halloween parades at Sam's.  Then Thanksgiving feast, Christmas parties, decorating...you get the picture.  Why do we mom's do that?  Or am I the only one??  When our children need an exam we schedule it IMMEDIATELY, but when it comes to us, other things take priority.  I for one, need to change that and be better about it.  Our health is too important to take for granted!

One thing I do plan on asking my doctor is what her take is on all the hormone "buzz" that seems to be flying around lately.  It is quite a popular subject on talk shows & book shelves the last couple weeks and I never thought I should be too concerned about it until I heard several times, that if you are over 35, which I'll be 37 this summer(YIKES!!!) you should have your hormone levels checked if for nothing else, but to get a baseline for those menopausal years to come.  Some of the symptoms a lot of the women were speaking of I never considered to EVEN BE pre-menopausal or hormone related, like forgetfulness, not feeling like yourself, lack of energy & drive.  I sure have been feeling quite a bit of that lately, so maybe my hormones are in crazy mode.  Who knows?!  But I am very curious to see what my doctor's take is and what her opinion on the whole synthetic vs. bioidentical hormone replacement argument is.  

What about you girls out there??  Anyone want to weigh in on THIS fun topic???

I'll let you know how it goes...

The Grocery Store

I really like going to the grocery store.  I guess it's the food junkie in me that loves seeing the possibilities out there.  And no matter how long or how short my list is, it always seems to take me an hour to go through.  I have my routine.  We used to do the whole family shopping trips on Friday nights, Saturday middays, but as the kids got older & not as amused, fighting over who got to sit in the cart and who didn't want to sit in the cart, I discovered going alone FIRST THING on Sunday mornings.  The store is stocked, it is quiet, everyone is very friendly, you have plenty of baggers to help you, then I get home, unload, we eat breakfast, get dressed & make it to 11 am Mass.  And the weekly shopping trip is done!!  I do lose a bit of sleep, that I normally use to crave by sleeping in, but now having that time to myself is even more treasured!!   I slip out the door before anyone is awake, my list in hand, my Earth friendly bags under my arm, and I hit HEB.  I even get to park in my favorite spot..."Yes, I have a favorite parking spot at the grocery store!"  It's not by the door either.  It's the very last spot on the aisle near the side entrance, and right by the cart cage.  And when I go at 8 in the morning on a Sunday, there is NEVER anyone parked there.  I love it!  

I am a label reader & a nutrition fanatic, so I'm constantly looking at how much fiber & sugar is in a lot of the stuff I buy, especially when it comes to the snacks for the kid's lunches, so I guess that adds to my timing.   Lately, they are loving whole wheat tortillas that I make into wraps for their lunches, and turkey chili that I make into chili pies for their thermoses!  I am constantly trying to see what else I can do or add or change up to bump up the nutrition level in our food, and they never act like we're missing out!  I am a meal planner, but not one who can do it weeks or days in advance, usually just a couple days before I hit the store.  And for the most part, we seldom stray away from it, which is good when you're trying to stay within a budget both nutritionally & financially!  I use to love doing coupons, but we don't do the paper anymore, and so much of what we get is the store brand stuff anyway, that it doesn't do as much good.  I would love for us to have one of those supermarkets that did "double coupons"!!  Now that would be fun to do!!  Since we're pretty much an HEB town, with the only competition Walmart & Super Target, the competitive things that stores offer isn't done here!  What about in your neck of the woods??

So, I'm throwing it out there...what's your grocery store routine???  Family or alone?  Weekly or several times a week??  Are you in and out or do you take your time??  List in hand or wing it??  Do you plan out your meals??  I just love to see how other moms and families handle such an "important" task!!  

Happy shopping!!!

Rechargin' my Batteries

I've had writer's block!  I haven't been able to think of ANYTHING to share on my blog!  Even out in blogland, posts from my buddies have been fewer and farther between than usual.  Guess we're all going through a slump.  Today is a school holiday for the kiddos...WOOHOO!!!  I'm probably more excited than they are!  My alarm did not have to be set, we didn't have to rush to get something down their throats and in their stomachs, be dressed and at school by 7:35, lunch boxes are left on the counter this morning, it's a great day!!  What's even greater, is that it looks to be a pretty quiet week and weekend ahead for us too...not at all like last week or the last 48 hours!  I'm very excited!!  As I lay in bed last night thinking of our weekend, I just couldn't believe all that we did and everywhere we went.  Friday night started off with a family trip to Walmart and Lowes.  Friday night fun, right?  But these are the things that we do now...we're not single people out on the town or a young married couple getting dressed up for dinner.  We capped the night off with tv dinners, which the kids think is ABSOLUTELY an awesome treat!  Everyone, including me and Wes were in bed by 10!  The next day was chock full and we wanted to be rested!  

Saturday was reserved for Annie's First Reconciliation and retreat.  She is in second grade, and as Catholics, can make her First Communion this year, with confession being the first step.  We had completed the lessons, but still didn't really know what to expect, with her being our oldest.  It turned out to be a beautiful, beautiful process and ceremony!  The morning was spent decorating a candle, a stole, and practicing for the actual service immediately after.  Annie never expressed her nervousness, aside from chewing on her hair, and jumped right in when she felt ready to go.  We were very proud of her!  All 107 candles from all 107 children there, were lit on the floor of the church next to the Baptismal font and they were able to wear their stoles after completing the process.  It was truly a meaningful, moving event and one that I think she'll remember as not being scary or intimidating at all...quite opposite from my days!  Wes and I took her to lunch then headed home!  It was youth hunting weekend, and Jack got his first hunting license ready to go with Daddy.  All 3 kids piled in the truck with Wes for a little over 24 hour trip down to C-town to play with cousins and see grandparents and aunts and uncles.  I stayed behind...ready to recharge my batteries!  And what does a mom alone in her own house do for those 24 plus hours???  I didn't shop, read, go out with friends but I did do exactly what I wanted which was to tackle some of those little odd jobs around the house that have been on the back burner for quite a while.  I worked on bank statements, updated the checkbook, typed up my Secretary minutes for the preschool board, organized my binder, went to the grocery store for the week, went to Mass, cleaned the pantry & fridge...and did it ALL alone without needing to stop for anything or anyone!  It may sound pretty boring, but to get that all done and off my list, on top of the house looking in tip top shape now, really recharged my batteries and made me feel oh so good!  Now today, we'll be able to do fun things, like go out for a bike ride, make a fun snack I saw in my Family Fun magazine, and just hang out!  We moms don't ask for much, and you wouldn't know it, but having just one day to yourself, can add years on to our sanity!!

And how did Jack fair on his hunting trip??  It wasn't long Saturday evening before I got a call telling me that he got his first deer, and with his Buppo's gun!  Buppo and Jack were very close before he unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack almost 2 years ago, so this was a special thing!  I couldn't tell whose smile I could actually hear the loudest through the phone, Jack's or Wes'!  He was one proud Daddy!  After doing all the typical stuff you do with a deer, taking lots of pictures, and showing them off repeatedly, Jack told Wes, "When I grow up, I want to be a Daddy just like you!"  

Looks like I wasn't the only one who got their batteries recharged!

Although I was a "single" lady for a day, I really put this song on the blog today because it always gets me going & makes me wanna dance...that always gives me an extra jolt in my attitude & my day!!  The video is awesome!

Ain't That a Kick?!?

I'm happy to say, I'm crawling out of the funk...finally had to rip the band-aid off and just take down Christmas.  I have a few ornaments to pack away and a few odds & ends, but the house is pretty much back to "normal" and looks so bare and empty!  Kinda nice actually not to have extra clutter.  Sam keeps asking us if Christmas will be back...so sweet!  At 3 1/2, I'm sure it is pretty confusing.  We promised him, yes, Christmas will be back and we will get it all down again in just 10 months!  Seems like light years away, but I know it will go quickly!

Ok, so remember this???  And I was asking for advice on what to do about my hairdresser of 12 years and "leaving" her for another???  Well, on my last trip to visit my NEW girl, she told me she was moving and having her own space at a place.  She described a location, I shook my head that I was familiar with the area, then told me the name of the place...can you believe that she will be in the same location as my "old" hairdresser???  I think she saw the blood drain from my face when I told her, that's where my other girl is...she felt so bad and we proceeded to come up with a plan on how this will work.  I texted my sister immediately & she has NEVER answered a text so fast, at the end of a school day mind you, and responded with NOOOOOOOO!!!!    So now we may be in search of disguises to wear when we get our hair done...or go at really crazy hours!

Ain't that a Kick in the Head?!?

Happy Monday:)

In a Funk!

It was a wonderful, super, fantastic Christmas vacation...BUT now it's over and I seem to be in some sort of funk!  I don't consider myself a moody person AT ALL...I'm very optimistic, I see the bright side & good in almost everyone, but for some reason, these last few days, I just can't shake this funk, this dreary mood I'm in.  Have you noticed, I haven't even been blogging??? I think it's probably true for almost everyone after the holidays...it's hard to go from fun music, fun food, fun times, to REALITY!!!  For those few minutes after midnight New Year's Eve, the world holds so much promise that THIS is the year that things will be different, things will be better, and then come the news reports of this incident happening & that...John Travolta losing his son REALLY bothered me & seeing the pictures of their family together are just heart wrenching.  Here it was, the 2nd day of a brand new year, and I keep thinking, 2009 was only beginning, yet it will already be considered the worst year of their lives.  I just hurt for them & so many others who have lost a child unexpectedly...

Maybe it's a little bit of exhaustion, staying up way, way late & sleeping in...maybe it's the fact that I'm still a bit miffed at the "anonymous" note that was left on our door, the night before Christmas Eve about our dog barking...Doc, our Beagle, has been in our backyard since the day we got him almost 10 years ago, and according to our next door neighbors on all sides, never does anything.  But I HATE conflict, I hate feeling like someone is just so angry at the world they decide to leave a note about a dog barking...mind you we were at a Christmas dinner that evening & were home by 10:15, and came home to find the note.  I feel so silly to be so worried about it STILL, but it just bothers me, and I feel like our house will now be on surveillance 24 hours, should we be gone for a long period of time.  So, if you find out who it is, let me know!  

Maybe it's PMS!  Maybe it's a combination of ALL those things, but whatever it is, I'm in a funk and I just wish I was a bear in hibernation for a few days and could sleep all the headaches & craziness in the world away.  Do you ever have days like that???  What makes you feel better??

Sorry to be such a downer, but I always take comfort in the fact, that on this space, we are able to be ourselves & be real & honest...I love, love my life and treasure every moment with my family, so I hope to snap out of this fog soon so I can enjoy them all even more!  

Off to address a very needy kitchen and a 3 year old wanting to play blocks!  Thanks for listening:)