B is for Busy

Why are we so busy?  It's not like we're busy surviving, well, not all of us anyway.  I concede that there are still groups of people that depend on constant work to survive, however, my pampered life, and I wager yours as well since you have the luxury of a computer, Internet access, and time to read blogs....., does not require me to do much to survive.  I get up, fix breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, spend time with the kids, and go to bed......not much to the everyday "have to's".  So, why am I so busy?  Do I have this subconscious need to make every second count?  Maybe I'm in fear of missing something?  Not making a difference?  Side track....has anyone reading this ever been able to watch Extreme Home Makeover without feeling like a blubbering, useless, selfish piece of ....well, you get the picture.   Anyway, I guess i could blame my parents, (can't we all?)......always so busy, i grew up that way, that's the way life flowed, i don't know any difference....bla bla bla........yeah, i can't even finish that out, because, in truth, I did go almost entire year without doing anything.  I found out I was pregnant and decided I needed to quit everything and put all my energy into my new family........well, that lasted all of 9 months and 5 weeks........which is when we walked into our new church, 5 week old in tow........and so it began.  You can't go to church without joining something, right?  It's all about fellowship, you just can't go and be happy and not fill some of your time with fellowshipping!  Then, the kid started to grow, a house needed to be bought, church picnic's needed planning, birthday parties needed organizing, hostess parties needed hosting, and and and........another kid joined the mix, and as most parents know, they just aren't content to sit and be still........so you have to do stuff with them which means classes and sports and 'adventures' and then throw a couple holidays, more birthdays (not just your own anymore, we're talking every kid your kid has ever played with), trips (because you have to give them memories) and suddenly.........your calendar is booked and your shuffling those blocks on the calendar like a deck of cards in an unending game of go fish, or uno, or some other life-sucking game..........sigh.  Breathe.  So, getting back to my original question, why are we so busy, why do we do this to ourselves?  It's that primal need to continuously work at survival that now has to be satisfied with whatever you can find?  I know I'm not alone in this because otherwise I would be showing everywhere by myself!  Oh well, my parents did it and now seem to have time on their hands.......maybe it's just the dues we pay.  It's not like this blog is going to change anything either.  Not sure I'm ready for all that! :)  Happy Tuesday, y'all!

A for April...duh!

Happy April, everyone!!!  Seems funny, that last Monday I was dealing with snow, today, for a moment, I was worried about a sunburn!  My flex Monday proved to be very relaxing and, yet, productive!  We went on a picnic and played with some friends, then hit the library and the grocery store.  Caught up on some Glee and now we're going for pizza and 'squeaky' frog (sweet frog in Jackson language).  So, as I start this blogging month-long challenge, I want to wish everyone a happy April!!

Did Mary Poppins's Purse Catch Fire?

It's no secret that I carry luggage and call it a purse.  I just like a big purse!  It's so much easier than trying to carry a purse and a diaper bag and any of the other miscellaneous items that moms just....need.  However, after today's incident, I'll try to keep a better eye on the items contained within!  Sitting in a dentist's waiting room, I reached into my purse to retrieve my nook for Mikey to play, it was hot to the touch.  Now, it is in a case, so it was actually the case that was hot; so after a frantic check, I determined that something else was hot outside of the case and not the nook.....thank goodness.  Reaching back in my purse, something was definitely blazing hot and I could now smell the heat......what on earth could it be??!!  I Carefully located a small pocket of hell in my purse, apparently, I had taken off a metal bracelet a couple of weeks ago and tossed it in my purse.....and, apparently it landed in the same pocket with some spare AA batteries I had for my camera......somehow the bracelet had encircled one of the batteries and made contact with both ends for a period of time.  Glad we sat down when we did!  Any longer, and I probably would have had smoke and a small fire.  The freaking battery was soooooo hot, I had to use one of the kids' back-up shirts to remove it and then let it sit out in the open for about an hour before it was cool enough to be safely thrown away.  So, here it is, a Monday AND it's snowing AND I have a dentist appointment AND there I am carrying around a single battery on a shirt through the dentist's office trying not to start a fire.  Of all things..........

Is there already a National Clean Out Your Purse Day?  If not, can we make it today?

Cheers!

Boys' Room Follow-up

So, a few changes to the original design, but I think the best art does, right?  I can't show you a picture of the ocean wall just yet because there is still a dresser in front of it and a bunch of junk yet to go through.  A BIG thank you to Heather for all her hard painting work!!

Boys' Room: The Design

So, we're having another baby and we have a 3 bedroom house....guess who gets to share a room?  They are actually very excited about it.  Plans are for bunk beds  but unbunked for now, a wider dresser to accommodate both sets of clothes and my reading chair.  We don't allow toys in the bedrooms, however, I'm taking this opportunity to finally do something wonderful to their room!  I decided on a "My Favorite Things" theme, have done a bit of research on the 'P' and finally have some sketches.  Now, just to get the sketches up on the wall and convince some wonderful friends to come and help paint.  The rooms are already a nice sky blue color, so we won't have to do a background, just to 'scenes'.  So excited!!!  Here are the sketches I've come up with.

The Ocean: the ship will actually be an iron ship that my great uncle welded for my grandparents.  The open area is the closet door.

Ocean and Space:  The ocean wall runs into the space wall.  Complete with rocket and sandcastle.  at the bottom right there is the end of a train track that runs into the next wall.

Jungles and Trains: here is the train track complete with train and a jungle in the back.  We already have some of those stick-up jungle animals that the boys can place around the jungle scene.

Dinosaurs: the train track from the joining wall ends in the hills here where the dinosaurs are!  Off the right is where the ocean joins...but not a very good transition other than the door and a sun.

Hopefully we can pull this off and have some great pictures to put up later!

April's A to Z Challenge!

I'm doing it again!  Do you have a blog and want a challenge too?

A to Z Challenge

And She Created Marshmallow Mess and Declared it Good!

Following dinner this evening, I had a two year face look up at me and say, "Mommy, you make cookies now?"  How could I say no?  usually I make Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip cookies, but alas, no brown sugar and no molasses to make any....so, think mommy, think....aha, the 'inter-webs' shall save the day!  So, I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that would also incorporate half a bag of marshmallows I came across.  Only, of course, I just used it as a general guide, pretty much doing whatever i felt like, so it became my own creation of sorts.  So, here is what I came up....not too bad, even though i did put in a bit more salt than was called for.  1/4 tsp was called for......i having little hands helping me, put in a full teaspoon.  Oh well, right?

1/2 c butter

1 c Chocolate Chips (or whatever you happen to have left from your last recipe)

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (or whatever)

1 c nuts (recipe called for walnuts, i had almonds...whatever)

mini marshmallows

Preheat to 400.  Melt the butter and half the chocolate chips over low heat.  Stir frequently.  Remove from heat.  Add sugar, vanilla, and eggs.  Mix.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add the liquid mix to the flour mix.  Mix well.  Add remaining chocolate chips and nuts.  Fold in the mini marshmallows.  Drop in heaping teaspoons (use an ice-cream scoop) on un-greased cookie sheet.  They will double in size so make sure there is room between them.  Bake 9 minutes.  Allow to cool for 5-6 minutes before trying to get them off the cookie sheet.  I personally thought they were going to be questionable, but they weren't bad and because the marshmallows puff up so much and then basically leave hollow spots, they weren't a very heavy cookie at all.  The kids loved them too!