"She's a very sweet and helpful girl; she just talks too much."

Tbell came home from school yesterday with a note from her teacher that I needed to sign. The note said that she had gotten in trouble for talking too much and was given several warnings about it before having to take down a picture. (The kids have three small pictures of themselves up on a wall. Similar to 'three strikes and you're out,' they have chances before a more serious consequence happens.) Now, she only had to take one picture down but she also lost 5 minutes of play time. When I asked if she was sad that she had lost a picture for the day, she just shrugged and said no. Then she told me that there was better stuff in the papers underneath the teacher's note. Now, I wouldn't ordinarily call the teacher about something like this, but I happened to have another issue to bring up so I decided to try. We spoke about the other thing first and then I brought up TBell's indifference to being in trouble. Mrs. P laughed and said the quote above. I noted that TBell didn't speak for quite a while - no sounds at all. In fact, the pediatrician wanted me to have her evaluated for speech therapy but I never got around to it. Then, she turned three, and she hasn't shut up. Mrs. P said that she was the same way and that her teachers must have felt the same way. I told her that we would try to work on being quiet at home, but that TBell is either talking or asleep. Happily, she got a good worker award today and proudly told me that she did not talk too much. Too funny. (I had a very hard time keeping a straight face while discussing this with her. She really cracks me up.)

Crock Pot Happiness

I made a roast in the crock pot today, with a recipe courtesy of my friend Ellen. All you do is put the roast in (mine was 4.5 pounds) and add the contents of one or two jars of peppercinis (juice and all) along with some garlic. I used one jar of sliced of peppercinis and one jar of sliced banana peppers. We sliced the meat and served it on rolls. My friend served hers on pita's with a cucumber and dill salad. Paco wouldn't eat that, so I just served mine with a side of cheesy rice. Mmmmmm! So good and easy.



I don't think the picture really does it justice, but it was taken with my cell phone and my cell phone is really a piece of crap.

WARNING: It Hurts to be Hit in the Face With a Rubber Dinosaur

You may not think so, but it really does! It also hurts to be kicked in the shin by a four year old boy doing an unauthorized cartwheel. I suppose it would have hurt even if the cartwheel had been authorized, but you get the idea. Other than those two events, the class went very well. I really did enjoy myself and think I will survive the year.

My First Day

Today is my first day teaching preschool. I can't decide if I am nervous. I mean, the knowledge I will be handing out isn't that difficult. But, will I have the patience for a crying three year old who misses his mommy? Or, will I deal correctly with the little boy who bites and hits his friends? I have no idea. We will all know soon, though!

Last night I realized that I am not completely in school mode yet as far as parenting goes. As I was going to bed, I saw the piles of paper I had removed from the backpacks on Friday afternoon - untouched for the weekend on the back of the computer table. It turns out that TBell needed to wear yellow today and Princess needed a form filled out. At least I noticed it last night instead of on my way to the bakery this morning at 5am. But, things would have been much less stressful had I remembered before bedtime on Sunday!

I Have No More Babies

I am not one to cry. Well, at least not during crisis situations or things like that. But, all three of my kids went to school. Now I was fine when Princess and TBell got on the bus (TBell started kindergarten) and I was fine when I dropped Pirate off at school. It was when got home that it started - it was then that I realized that I have no more babies and it kind of hurt a little.

Here are pictures of the big day!


Princess is very proud of this outfit - she finds it to be very fashionable. I think she looks like she is going to school in the 80's! I remember my mother forbidding me to wear stretch pants under my skirts and shorts. I imagine she will kill me when she sees Princess get off the bus today!


This is my absolute favorite dress. I just LOVE polka dots. Isn't she too cute?


All grown up. He kept saying things today like, "Don't tickle the school boy!"

All three, smiling.

Fudge

I tired to make fudge today, using an easy microwave recipe I found online. It has not set. I just let TBell, TBell's friend, and Pirate eat a "piece" with a spoon. I have put it back in the freezer to try and force it to set. It's pretty though, with marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles. Tasty and disappointing all at the same time.

Also, I spoke to Paco's grandmother, and she has agreed to can with me. In addition to what I wanted to make, she is going to teach me how to do potatoes! I am SO excited!

In other random news, we got a new bathtub today from Bathfitters. It looks very much like a hotel shower/tub now - all clean and white. However, anything is better than the stained tub we had before!

"HUGH Sale"

I saw that on a sign over the weekend. Sadly, I was unable to stop and see how much a 'Hugh' would cost. Perhaps next time.

Canning and Me

My sister cans a lot. In fact, she called me yesterday to tell me that she was getting together with some friends to can quite a number of things. (One of which was vodka cherries! I am *really* hoping to get a jar or two of those!) I haven't canned anything in a long time. I helped my mother with tomatoes last year, but I was only helping and ended up with just four jars. I have decided this year that I want to do tomatoes, apple butter, and hot pepper relish. Of course, there is a financial investment with the food and jars, so I need to find a way to make that happen. But, I will be so happy when it is all completed! I have to admit that I am a little nervous since I have never done it by myself. Stay tuned for updates, although the actual day probably won't be until the beginning of September.

Taking a Break from Work

I didn't go to work at the bakery today. (That's a long story.) So, when I woke up today I decided that I should work on some proofreading and other projects that I have been putting off. However, after 40 minutes, I am already in need of a break! My ability to stay focused can be severely limited at times.

We went to a dinner party yesterday to which I had to bring a side dish. The other day I had watched The Food Network and decided to make this. I used apples instead of pears because that's what my local farmer's market had. It was pretty good. I should have taken a picture for you, especially since I assembled it in my never-before-used trifle dish from Pampered Chef and it looked SO pretty! The curry flavor isn't that strong, so I think most people will enjoy it. To be honest and fair, I don't know how often I will make it since the curry won't go with all foods. But, it was good enough to share!

Coffee and a Smile (and a Recipe)

Ahhhhhh. I am sipping coffee and sitting at my desk while the children play happily behind me. I do love days off!

I went to our local farmer's market last weekend and bought an eggplant. I had never prepared eggplant before and was quite anxious to try something with it. Paco is pretty much a meat and potatoes guy, but was willing to try it in our quest to lose weight. (I am down 10 pounds. He has lost roughly the same.) I looked around on the internet for some good recipes and asked around, but couldn't come up with something that great. We were planning to just brush it with olive oil and season it with salt/pepper and throw it on the grill. However, I ended up looking at a recipe called 'Poor Man's Caviar' and was intrigued. I went to a friend's house on Monday and decided to make it for that gathering - it was GREAT!

Cut slits on top of the eggplant, then roast it on grill rack at 500 degrees for about 20 minutes. Take eggplant out of the oven and scoop out the flesh. In a food processor, combine eggplant, drizzle of olive oil, coarse salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings you would like. (I used a parmesan/oregano blend from my friends pantry.) Serve with a baguette or other bread/cracker.

WARNING: The consistency looks like green baby food. It got rave reviews with my friends, though, so try it anyway!

Excitement Comes in So Many Ways

First, excitement comes in the form of DVR, which Paco and I finally got this afternoon. I haven't really had time to play with it, but it is currently set to record all episodes of Friends on TBS (I still really like that show) and all episodes of Kim Possible on Disney Channel. I think I am really, really going to like it.

Second, excitement comes in the form of martini's and Chinese food and sushi with friends. I think it's going to be a good night!

Could I Have Felt Any Worse?

I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. In fact, immediately following the births of each of my girls, I was thrilled at the prospect of possibly doing it again. Today, however, I was crying uncontrollably on my couch with a headache that hurt worse than most things I have ever felt. (I still remember the pain of a particular surgery I had and I do admit that this headache was not that bad; possibly close, though.) Princess was taking care of me and all three children behaved pretty well considering I was completely out of it for most of the day. I finally called my mother to bring me more medicine, which helped immensely. It sucked for her, though, because my three year old niece is staying with her for the week and had just thrown up in the car when she arrived at my house. I was barely able to help her and only had three napkins to give her. I was in so much pain that it didn't occur to me to give her rags or anything. I don't really get headaches like that and sincerely pray that it never happens again.

Dinner

I made the most amazing pizza for dinner tonight. I suppose it won't sound all that extraordinary, but let me assure you that it was FAB! I used dough from the bakery - the kind that you have to let rise and then punch down and rise again. I do have a great recipe to make my own, but I chose to buy with my discount today. At $1 a bag, it's hard to resist. I brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled oregano, then spread pizza sauce. On top of the sauce, I put cut up meatballs, jalapenos, and mozzarella cheese. I really don't think that I can tell you how good it was. The kids had a plain cheese version that was also very, very good.

TBell fell off a swing after dinner and smacked her head on the very hard ground. I was worried that she may have a slight concussion, but Paco insists that she is fine. I suppose she probably is okay, but I am watching her very closely anyway.

Things We Go at the Fair Today (Old Home Days)

1. 4 pieces of pizza, two orange soda's and one red Gatorade - $14
2. 1 (amazing) taco and a Coke - $6
3. 1 sword - $5
4. 1 can of silly string - $3
5. 1 purple stuffed fish, won at a game - $2
6. 1 box of snappers - $1
7. 3 all-you-can-ride bracelets - $39

A grand total of $70 worth of fun! (I am kind of hoping Paco doesn't read this.)

Well, I'll Be

I had no idea that it has been over a month since my last post. Crazy. There have been many times that I have thought of things I would like to say, but then never got around to them. So, with not much written, and two of my most loyal readers not employed by a company that allows them to play on the internet all day, I am left to wonder if my blogging is coming to an end. Sigh.

Princess is at sleep away camp this week. It's actually only a few days, Sunday to Wednesday. She has been away from us before, but we can always talk on the phone. This is the first time that she has been away with no contact and it feels strange. It's not too bad, I guess, but I admit that I will be glad when she gets home.

TBell is anxiously awaiting Kindergarten. She also has her first loose tooth. (I lost my last tooth in high school, so she had better get used to the feeling of loose teeth...it's going to last a while!)

Pirate is now really Jack Sparrow. My mother bought him a pirate costume from Disney World and he basically hasn't taken it off for a couple of weeks. It's funny and annoying all at the same time.

Paco and I will be married nine years in just over a week. Just after that, we will have been together (including dating) for 13 years. I am almost too stunned to think about it.

That's the update from here. I definitely need to consider my blogging future!

Good Times

I rode in with my parents, which was a little stressful. Dad was stressed, mom was tired and there was a lot of bickering and snapping. I was also bored, which didn't help. However, once we got to the church (my mother is doing a reading in the wedding) for the rehearsal, things got better. Afterward, I found out that my grandmother and her boyfriend were planning on riding with us to the dinner, so I managed to swing a ride with the bride so as not to have to deal with grumpy parents and grumpy grandparents! (I do love them, but I am here to have fun!)

The rehearsal dinner was great. It was so nice to eat and drink while other people had to watch their own children and all I had to do was have fun! (I do think that one of the groomsmen, a much younger man, was trying to pick me up. I guess I shouldn't be too excited because he has a girlfriend and two children, but still...it's nice to be wanted!) The bartender poured very liberal glasses of wine, of which I had two. My cousin bought me a shot of vodka, which sadly took me two gulps to finish since it was so large. I was never a good drinker when I was younger, and age has just made it worse. But, it was fun nonetheless. After the dinner, I met Paco at the hotel and actually slept all night and was able to wake up this morning without a care in the world! We went down to have breakfast and are thinking of walking over to the mall for a little bit just for fun. Now, don't get me wrong, I do miss my kids. But, it is so nice to not worry about anything and just hang out. The wedding isn't until 5pm, so we have all kinds of time to just have fun. I hope all of you are having a great weekend, too!

My Weekend

Since our children were born, they have spent the night with grandparents if Paco and I had a wedding or party or something. Also, the girls have each gone away from us on there own for various trips or overnights. Paco and I have each taken trips individually without the children. But, never before have we both been gone at one time for any length of time...until this weekend - and I can't tell you how excited I am! Paco is away on business and I will be meeting him there tomorrow night, in a hotel room paid for by his company! Then, on Saturday, we will be going to my cousin's wedding. We will spend another night away, go to a family brunch on Sunday and then come home. I have been busy packing tonight, in the ridiculous heat, and generally stressing because I have so much to do. (Luckily, a deadline was changed so I do not need to spend the entire night compiling grants in Adobe Writer since I just got the software and am not entirely sure how to use it yet.) I am still doing laundry but have gotten a lot more done than I expected to. Wait...have I mentioned that Paco and I are going away?

Various Tidbits of Information

I have no idea how so many days occur between my posts. I very often intend to write, but then get lazy or busy or something and the moments passes. However, I am currently sitting at my computer while the rest of the family is outside and I decided that it is the perfect time to write a mixed bag sort of post.

I worked at the bakery this morning and I have to say that it was my most enjoyable day there so far. Sadly, it was enjoyable because I was having completely inappropriate conversations with my coworkers, but for some reason we couldn't stop. And the conversations were funny. I think I laughed for an hour straight. Isn't it nice to do that sometimes? I don't think that the perfect environment will occur for that type of conversation to happen again (such as those two coworkers with me, no customers, strange moods, etc.) and it really shouldn't since we talked about things that would absolutely offend some people, but I kind of hope that it does happen again because it was just plain fun.

In cooking news, I found out something about crock pots. Now, it may be something that all of you know. However, I most assuredly did not and I was stunned - you do not need to add water/liquid when cooking in a crock pot. For some reason, I was sure that you did. The other day, I was looking online for a crock pot/pork tenderloin recipe because it was too hot to turn my oven on and we had no gas for the grill. I didn't feel like my normal recipe with beer, so I looked for a new way. I came across several recipes that did not involve liquid. So, I tried it just coated in a rosemary blend I have along with some pepper. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I have to say, this opens up a whole new world for me!

Travel Nightmare

As you read, we are just recovering from the travel disaster which occured on Princess' way home from Disney. Now, we are dealing with another one! Paco was in Denver for business and was supposed to be home last night. After arriving in Philadelphia with enough time to make his connecting flight (they arrived at the gate with 20 minutes to spare), they were told that the flight had left early! EARLY! When does a flight ever leave early? There was a huge line of people waiting for what was *supposed* to be a full flight that had already left. USAir didn't seem to care, though. They said that the pilot was about to lose his flight time (something to do with the number of hours a pilot can fly before being grounded for rest) so the plane had to leave. Paco tried two different hotels with no luck. I think he is on his way home now. I had to call in to the bakery because I had no sitter for 5am. My sister was supposed to come over at 8 when Paco would have normally left for the office, but certainly couldn't leave her own family to come be with mine. What is really frustrating is that I am sure USAir won't do a &%*# thing about it!

Updates and More!

For those of you who are interested, I am enjoying my work at the bakery. We don't do any baking at our location - it is all trucked over from another (larger) location two times a day. (Someone does come in to make sandwiches and some of the pizza we sell.) So, as an opener, I am mostly responsible for setting up the store with the yummy goods and serving the few customers who are there between 6am and 9am. (My actual shift starts at 5 - the store opens at 6.) I was told in my interview that I can eat as many doughnuts and as much pizza as I want while I am working. I told the manager that this was a terrible thing to tell me! But, in fairness, doughnuts are not really my downfall. Pizza can be bad for me, but typically not that early in the morning. I have tried some yummy desserts that I have never had before, but overall I don't think my eating is too bad considering the circumstances.

My job at the grocery store is actually over before it really got off and running. I was able to quit because a woman I work for out of my home heard that I was working two jobs and guaranteed me enough hours to be able to quit at least one. Woohoo!

We ate the friendship bread, discussed in my last post, before I could take a picture of it - TBell and Pirate LOVED it! I have some other starters, but I think I ruined them because I forgot to take care of them. So, the project may be a bust now.

Princess just arrived back from a week in Walt Disney World with my parents. (My sister and her children joined them as well.) She had a wonderful time and was full of stories today. You could really tell that she was glad to see TBell and Pirate and that they were thrilled to see her - it warmed my heart! Airtran really (*$(^*$(% up the traveling, though, with a VERY late flight home and lost luggage. It seems that every time my parents travel via Airtran, their flight home is a disaster. It is to the point now that I highly recommend that no one use them at all!

I have some great pictures to post, but I am way too lazy to upload them right now. (They are still on the camera.) I promise to take care of it soon!

Happy Mother's Day!