Only Crazy People Do This Kind Of Thing

Sunny and I.
We are just two crazy peas in a pod.
We braved the madness this morning together.
I was at her house to pick her up at 4:30 am on the nose.

We headed straight to Wal Mart.
We did not go to Starbucks first, that was a terrible mistake, clearly I was still too tired to correctly navigate the car.
We waited in line for an hour because Wal Mart price matches on Black Friday of all the crazy things.
So we waited while our 16 year old, sleepy-headed checker manually keyed in price adjustments on 80 billion Christmas gifts.
An hour!

Next stop?
Yep, you guessed it...Starbucks!
We began to feel much better.

On to Target.
Now, Target has Black Friday down to a a science.
They have traffic control for their check out line.
They even had stuff where it should be ie: toys on the toy aisle, clothes in the clothes section (not so with Wal Mart).
We were out of there, gifts in hand, in no time.

Next up Kmart.
No good.
They had already sold out of all the good stuff.
We left there empty handed.

And finally Big Lots which was by far the fastest.
There was no line at all.
Success was had here.

The last stop I made was to drop Sunny off at work.
Awful!
She had to work after that exhausting shopping extravaganza.
The thought of it almost makes me feel guilty about the nap I'm going to go take after lunch.
Not guilty enough to resist though.

Anyhow, it was worth it.
I am nearly done with my shopping and Christmas is still a month away!
I will not be out there at midnight the 24th with all the slackers.

Uggghhhh!

I am full.
I really like Thanksgiving food.
Actually, I like it too much.

I feel like I am prepped for hibernation.

But, oh no, there will be no long winter's nap for me.
I will be waking up at 4 am for shopping.
Gotta get those deals.

Thanksgiving Preparation for Idiots

Well today being the eve of the big day has me doing some reminiscing. Let me take you back a few years, to the newly-wed days and my first attempt at hosting the big dinner for all of our family...

I think I was 23.
I felt as though I was barely old enough to use the oven alone.
I stupidly volunteered to host Thanksgiving.
Back then I was always doing this type of thing, getting in way over my head.
So the night before Thanksgiving I got my turkey out of the fridge to get it prepared.
I read Betty Crocker's instructions, I read the turkey wrapper instructions.
I didn't know which side the breast side was, how was I supposed to "place it in the roaster breast side up"?
And the package said to "remove the gizzard and the neck", was this going to require some sort of saw? Eeeewwww.
I needed Mom.
So I called her.
This is how the conversation went...

Me "Mom I don't know where the neck went to or what gizzards are."
Mom "Oh honey, they are not on the bird they are in the bird."
Me "Ok so how do I remove them?"
Mom " Just find the tail and stick your hand in the hole of the turkey under the tail, you'll feel some loose stuff in there, pull that out and throw it away. No biggie."

I twist, turn and squeeze my big hand into the tiny hole.
I try to pull the "loose stuff" out.

Me "Mom, are you sure about this?"
Mom " Yep."
Me "It's too big."
Mom "Well it should just slide out."
Me "This is more difficult than birthing a baby. I wish this turkey could push, that might help."

I pull and push and twist and pry and finally...
Pop!
The neck and gizzard are delivered!

Me (breathless and panting) "Ok, we're good."
Mom "Alright now put the legs back into the little plastic clip thingy."
Me "Mom, what do you mean?! I didn't know I was supposed to take them out of the plastic clip thingy."
Mom "You mean you pulled all that stuff out while the legs were in the clip?"
Me "Uh huh."
Mom "Oh. Well next time it will be much easier if you take them out first."

Oops.

Anyway, the turkey turned out fine and we had a lovely dinner the next day. And now I always get a good laugh when I go to prepare my turkey the night before Thanksgiving.




I

Sock Super Heroes

I would have posted a picture but Jason took the camera to work:(

Do you ever notice how kids get more creative when they are bored of their toys and you won't let them buy more because Christmas is just right around the corner?

Today our kiddos made super hero "costumes" out of old socks.
They cut five holes in the end for their fingers to go through, like a fingerless glove.
Then they had me use a permanent marker to write SR , SA , SK, SE (Super Riley, Ali, Katie, Emmie).
Yes, the big kids know how to write by themselves, no they are not allowed to use permanent markers.
We had an "incident" involving a Sharpie and our computer keyboard when Riley was a toddler. I have never forgotten about it.
Anyway... Then I drew lightning bolts, buttons for shooting, etc on them.
They spent all afternoon running around talking on their pretend walkie talkies, shooting one another and saving the day.
And to think I was just going to throw those old socks away.

I don't know about this NaBloPoMo thingy majig

Well, I am going to write something because I'm doing this challenge and I already didn't do one day and I'm really bad at finishing what I start but I want to change that about me. The thing is I don't have anything of importance to say today.

-----------------------

1. Mom came and helped out with the kids. Fantabulous!
   
2. I was able to get out alone for a bit and get my hair cut.
3. Jason and I had a lovely date night while we farmed the kiddos out to Melissa and Grandma.
   
4. I'm giving serious consideration to exercising. I'll let you know tomorrow how that goes.
5. I am super duper comfy right now in my new Christmas jammies that mom brought me today.
6. I am thinking about how very, very blessed I am. I get to educate my kids. I taught them to read and add and punctuate and I am teaching them all about God's amazing world. I am so thankful that God has helped me to realize that He equipped me with that ability.
7. My littlest daughters are staying the night with their grandma and grandpa tonight. I'm looking forward to a quiet night's sleep. I miss them though.
8. My two big kids are tucked in tight and snoring. I love checking on them at night and kissing their little foreheads. It reminds me of one of our favorite storybooks, "Love You Forever". If you have never read this book to your kids, you should. It may make you cry.
   

Grandma Allen

'

Here's my Grandma.
I'm not sure who the baby is, could be one of mine, could be one of my brother's, could be a stranger's, I don't know.
The baby is not the point of this post.
If you have ever had the opportunity to be around my grandma you will know that it matters a great deal to her to be colorful.
The more colors the better, especially if red is one of the colors.
She calls brown and grey and black "dead colors".
That's why I like this picture of her, it really represents her taste well.
Oh yes, she also likes lipstick and blush very much.
They help to make you not look dead.
She is on to something though because she does always look beautiful and very much alive.
I have so many good memories with Grandma in them.
She is a lively, loud and energetic woman that I would love to be more like.

Highlights From the Weekend

1. We bought a new-to-us car!! And, I love it. Of course I don't get to drive it because I seem to always have my entourage in tow and this car is not big enough. I will get to "borrow" it when I am out alone though:)
2. We took advantage of Denny's Kids Eat Free night. This is an amazing deal, two kids meals free for every adult meal purchased on Saturday and Tuesday evenings. We did not have Riley with us because he was staying the night with Grayson but it would have been the same price even if he had been there since we only used three of the four possible free meals. It was only $16.00 for Jason and I and the three girls! What a deal.
3. I got to go grocery shopping alone! At WinCo! Love it! WinCo is the best, if you haven't shopped at this store you are REALLY missing out. They have the very best prices anywhere and you don't have to pay sales tax (Washington) so that should cover the expense of the extra gas.
4. My precious husband prepared and served dinner tonight!
5. My precious husband bathed the kids tonight!
6. I found cute Christmas dishes at Goodwill for $5! I've always wanted some but the only time I can ever afford them is after Christmas when they are 75% off.
7. After a way-to-long break from school I am very ready to get back to our routine tomorrow.
   

First Snow 2009!!!

The kiddos were VERY happy to have snow in the yard today!
Unfortunately Riley was at Scouts, but the girls got to enjoy it.
They made snow angels, attempted a snow man, rolled down the hill and ate the snow (ok that was just Emmie and I did try to get her to stop).
It's funny how excited we are to have snow now and how very, very excited we will be to see it finally leave next April.

Oops! I Forgot!

I failed the challenge!
I did not post on day 13!
Oh well, I'm going to try to keep going anyway.

Sicky Girlies

Fever here...
Fever there...

Fever, fever everywhere.
I went against all good fashion judgment last night.
Katie woke up, just as I was going to bed, with a fever of 103 and I was out of ibuprofen.
I was so tired that I just threw my coat over the top of my polka dot jammies, left my slippers on and went to Wal Mart.
It was a very restless night and today has not been much better.
Now all the girls have fevers and sore throats.
I have to admit that I am a bigger baby than the kids when they are sick.
I hate sleepless nights, I hate the whining and fussing, I hate having to fetch medicine and take temperatures all day.
I hate that I had to pass up a play date Melissa and her kids and a visit with Sunny today.
And, we had to cancel home group.
I really look forward to being around other adults.
Bummer.
Hopefully this is a quick little bug that the kids have and no one else in the family gets it.
In the mean time I am going to try very hard to be compassionate and remember that they don't like being sick either.

Wordless Wednesday

Cutest Daughters Ever

Well, yes, it is true they are my daughters so of course I think they are cute.

Really, though, they are.


It is cute when your seven year old daughter begs you to buy broccoli and allow her to prepare it by herself then proceeds to eat two ginormous helpings at dinner and finishes off the left overs for lunch the next day.
I thought kids weren't supposed to like broccoli...?
Cute.
And yes, it is cute when your baby and toddler cuddle on the couch while watching Sesame Street...
Seriously, that is cute.

Guess What I Did Today...

It's Monday and I'm a slacker on the weekend, big time.
This is what our house looked like this morning.Oh dear... that's atrocious.

Yikes!!!
I did get the kitchen back in order ...
but the laundry is still being worked on.


I did however make a yummy batch of granola.
It is quite good and probably a bit healthier and more frugal than store bought!
Here's the recipe, well, kind of.
I didn't measure anything so I can't be positive about these measurements but it's pretty close.

Alisa's Granola

Step 1
In a heavy frying pan toast about 1 cup oats in olive oil, remove to baking sheet.

Step 2
Melt 1/2 cup butter in same pan. Add 1/3 C brown sugar & a big squirt of honey. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly.

Step 3
Add about 3 c of nuts and dried fruit to the sugar butter mixture.
Stir well to combine.
Add oats back in and mix well again.

Step 4
Spread out on a baking sheet & allow to cool.

Step 5
Enjoy plain as a snack, with milk for breakfast or on top of yogurt... Yummy!!

Surprise! Surprise!

Time to move on.
Time to get goin'.
What lies ahead we have no way of knowin'.
In the spirit of the Lumberjack's Wife... name that tune.

This is the truck that my dad and his wife bought almost eleven years ago.
I remember it clearly.
It was during my engagement to my car obsessed man.
He was soooooo jealous of this truck.
I guess he was still living in the delirium of belief that I shared ALL of his heart's desires.
At my bridal shower we played a game where I had to try to answer a bunch of questions the same way Jason had.
One of the questions was "What is Alisa's dream car?"
Jason's answer... "A black 1997 extra-cab GMC truck."
We got that one wrong.

But anyways...

Nine years later we bought the black 1997 extra-cab GMC truck from my parents.
Oh happy day (for Jason, that is)!
And now he has driven this beauty for the last 1 1/2 years! I know that might not sound like a big deal but you don't get to own five dozen cars in twenty years by just hanging on to a truck like that.
Well, he really wants a car now not a truck.
It just makes more sense with all the driving he does for work.

So, once again the cycle starts.
Pray for me.

Ali's 7th Birhtday

Ali is 7 years old!!
I am such a sap, I know, but my kids birthdays always make me think back to when they were born.
November 7th, 2002
I remember the text book first labor contractions, the no-time-for-an-epidural length labor.
I remember my sweet baby girl laying on my chest, wrapped in blankets after delivery, with no diaper, pooping.
I remember not caring at all about the mess.
I remember my disbelief at having a daughter and what a good baby she was.
I remember more experienced parents telling me to savor the moments because they would fly by.
I see now that they were right.
I am trying.
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We have a tradition in our house that the birthday girl or boy gets to have a special breakfast date with their dad.
It was the highlight of Ali's day!
------------------------------Ali with her new Baby Alive doll. She named her Aaliyah after one of her very special friends.
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Birthday Party Fun!!!

'Twas The Night Before The Birthday

It's the night before the birthday
and all through the house
not a creature is sleeping because of the sound.
The crying and wailing have mellowed out now
It's turned into sobs that must stop some how.
I'm told kids love birthdays.
They're not afraid to age.
They gets lots of gifts and parties, hooray.
But my Ali, though as sweet as can be,
wants to be always a baby to me.
No word of comfort or hope will do
her worry and anguish still continue.
She is still young, it's only her seventh
I hope she gets over it before her eleventh.

day #5 post

I'm sleepy and can't think of anything to post and my usual standby posts about my cute, funny kids seems a bit phony since they are driving me nuts right about now. So... here's my handsome man and his buddies.

I Love Daylight Savings Time!

I know lots of people hate messing up their schedule with the time change.
I do feel sorry for those folks but I am not one of them!
I love the time change!

Because of the time change the kids and I were leaving Wal Mart this morning, finished with our shopping, by 9:30 am!!
Unbelievable!
We were even fully dressed.
I know it is socially acceptable to go to Wal Mart in your jammies but I'm not a big fan of that.

I love to be up early and get started with my day but usually my sleepyheadedness governs me and I just keep sleeping until a small person wakes me up demanding PBS kids and cereal.

I'm sure in a few weeks I'll be back to normal, sleeping in and all, but until then I'll enjoy waking up at the crack of dawn fully rested and ready to go.

I guess that's just one more thing I love about Fall!

Terrific Tuesday!

It's Tuesday!
I live for Tuesday!
Tuesday is Mom day in our house every week.
Not to be confused with Mother's day.
My mom, the wonderful, helpful, selfless woman that she is, quit her job four years ago so she could help out her husband and kids in their lives instead.
Tuesday is the day that I get to have that Superwoman's help.
She will show up at my home around nine or ten in the morning, often bearing gifts such as coffee from Thomas Hammer and a lunch she "threw" together so I wouldn't have to bother myself.
Then she proceeds to help in any way I see fit, ie: bathe the kids, do school, take Emmie on a walk, or babysit while I run errand like a single, childless woman.
She is truly amazing and such a blessing!
And she never, ever complains!
She just smiles and gets to work!
She will be at our house until around five thirty tonight, when I get back from therapy with Emmie.
It's a long day and every week I tell myself to appreciate it and enjoy it because no one in their right mind would continue to do this week after week.
But she keeps coming back, like clockwork.
I love it!
And I love my mom!
Thank you Mom!!

"Monkey Business"

Check out our kiddos new blog. They will be doing all the posts on it. Please be gracious, I don't really want to edit it much so there may be some spelling issues and such, but hey, they are in 2nd and 3rd grade! I have it on the blog list to the left also.
http://ourkidsblog.blogspot.com/

NaBloPoMo

I'm taking the challenge!!
So, I'm begging of
you ALL to read AND comment each and every day in November!
I know you might get sick of me but ya know, I have to live with myself every day, all the time, I certainly get sick of me.
So take pity on me and read.
And comment.

Princerella

I love how kids make up their own word and use them as though everyone knows what they're talking about.

For example...
Princerella: definition ..."pretty girls that I love", Katie
Here's my 3 year old princerella.

The Birthday Celebration Begins...

It seems like birthdays in our home are week long celebrations. It's hard to get together with all the family at one time because that's a lot of people. So we do a little bit here and there for days surrounding the actual birthday.
Well, for Ali the celebration started tonight at our monthly Family Dinner (which by the way is a major highlight in itself!).
This is the cake that Ali picked out of the cookbook, a giant hamburger! It turned out really cute and wasn't all that difficult either. She LOVED it!!
Of course she also LOVED getting gifts from her Auntie and Uncle and Grandma and Grandpa.

Harvest 2009

Once again we had a fabulous time at the Harvest Party!!

Our family consisted of a plain old boring mom and dad, two darling lady bugs, a bouncy cheerleader and The Karate Kid.
Ali and her best friend Jordyn. Riley with his good buddies Grayson, aka Wolverine, and Caden, aka also The Karate Kid.