Updates and Thanksgiving 2009

Things sure have been quite hectic around here. After our brief stint in homeschooling things are slowly starting to get to some sort of 'normal'.
After starting kindergarten Jack become sick. Like sick..going to the doctor than being admitted to the hospital kind of sick. After the first week of school he got pneumonia. He missed a week of school and after healing up a good bit returned. Not even 2 and a half weeks later, sick again..this time what was a basic cold, turned into a upper respiratory infection requiring hospitalization. We were giving his treatments..(nebulizer) and that wasn't working. He was puking all night. Asthmatics tend to barf because they are trying so hard to get enough air, that all the contents of the belly are ejected. What fun that was. Jack is now the master puker. He gets the trash and/or toilet every time. Makes clean-up so much easier.
After xrays and nebulizer treatments at the doctor that proved unsuccessful, his pediatrician admitted him to the hospital. It was so scary. He was hooked up to an IV and had and oxygen mask too. Jack was a trooper and did very well. They gave him Albuterol every 2 hours thru the nebulizer. You can imagine what that was like. Albuterol is like a shot of espresso for a kid. So having a 20 minute dose every 2 hours Jack turned into a wild man. I did not spend the night with him, Justin did. I had to come home and be here for Lily.
He did well all night and was discharged the next morning. Since then we had decided that we would give homeschooling a go. We did it for health reasons. All in all it lasted one month. Jack was begging to go to school to run with his buddies and I was loosing my mind trying to school a fidgety 5 year old. With my sanity on the line and Jack not having social interaction..he is happily back in class with his friends. His immune system got a month to heal. Now anytime I think he is sounding like he is getting ill, I keep him home and do a treatment. Jack's teacher also will let me know if he is having any problems at school as well.
Lily is doing great..she is getting so big, its ridiculous. She is almost as tall as me. She is growing up so fast. She is one smart little girl. I met with her teacher. Straight A's....again..
She loves horses, drawing comics, and wants a dog and cell phone for Christmas. She plays soccer everyday at recess and has friends over constantly. She is a bookworm and is constantly reading something. I think currently she is reading New Moon. She read Twilight..She wanted to see that movie but we told her to read the book first. And she did..that book is so long too.
Thanksgiving will be nice...kinda sorta...
I always wanted all family to be together and enjoy this day..but unfortunately that is not the case this year..(again). That's OK, I am thankful we are all happy and healthy.
This year's menu includes:

Appetizers:

Creamy roasted garlic and onion meatballs
Salami and tomato folds
Fresh vegetables and dip


Refreshments:

Eggnog and Captain Morgans Spiced Rum
Buttery Nipples
Sparkling Apple Cider for little people


The Main Course:

1 20lb herb roasted turkey...
Apple and Raisin Stuffing
Yams
Turkey Gravy
Cauliflower mash..(I may try this..its still iffy..but substitute the potatoes for smashed cauliflower..)

Desert:

Home-made Rhubarb Pie w/ crumble topping and vanilla bean ice cream..
(we are ditching the usual pumpkin stuff this year)

Pictures will be posted Friday!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Paranormal Experience....or perhaps a shoulder twitch

Last week....Tuesday ... I lie in bed..early morning. Justin already off to the office and the kids were nestled, all snug in their beds... I tried to sleep more as it is a rarity to snooze later than 7am these days...for whatever reason the kids slept in today... I tossed and turned trying to get the good, comfy spot..you know, when you flip the pillow to find that cold spot...put the long body pillow..a.k.a. 'sausage' in between your legs. I tried, and damn hard at that. I just couldn't sleep. So I just lay there. My back to the door. A few minutes later I felt a tapping on my left shoulder. I had my eyes closed as I was so desperately trying to catch some more zzz's with no avail. Three taps...tap, tap, tap...I assumed it was Jack..because he always does this when he wants to come and snuggle. So I continued to lay there, eyes closed. Waiting for him to hop in bed and knee me in the gut as always. There it was again... tap, tap tap...
Again..being a lazy ass I didn't turn around and get Jack in bed. I waited for him to crawl over me. Third times a charm... tap, tap tap...
ok..now...wtf???
I sat straight up and expected Jack, bright eyed and bushy tailed...nope...I leaned forward and peeked in Lily's room where they both slept peacefully.
Jesus...!?! WTF?????
My heart was pounding so loudly the neighbors could have heard. I got up and scoped out the rest of the house. Nothing.
I immediately phoned Justin and told him. Being such a skeptical person..he said it was Jack tapping and then he probably ran away after that.
Uh, no...
Unfortunately I am a ridiculously light sleeper and hear EVERYTHING....
There was no way he could have tapped me and then ran away that fast into Lily's bed. And besides, I would have heard Lily's bed squeak..(it's a Ikea bed after all....).
Saying I was terrified would be putting it lightly...I have always heard stories of other people having 'experiences' ...now I have something to contribute.
I was not asleep.
It wasn't a shoulder twitch..(Justin thought it could have been, especially since we have been working out lately)
Justin was hoping it would happen again, only this time to him.
Dear Ghost,
Please do not disturb..I really need sleep..I have a weak bladder, so if you decide to haunt me again, be prepared for a mess....however, my better half would like to sit down and have a drink with you. He would be better company than I would.
Sincerely,
Scared Shitless....

M.I.A

So much has happened since the last time I was on here. Frankly I forgot about this here blog. I joined Facebook and was doing that all the time. I like those ridiculous quizzes....one could spend a long time doing those..(or perhaps its just me..I'm a dork).
Lily finished school in June...straight A's across the board...brilliant little girl she is. Jack starts kindergarten in about a month. We have gone shopping and he has picked out his backpack..(Batman), his lunchbox..(army/camoflauge type) and I bought him this cute, earth friendly 'Kindermat', new socks, new undies...I am waiting on the clothes and shoes because he is continuously sprouting. Lily too.
Jack finished up his shots finally (I spread them out over a long period of time) and he got a referral to an Allergist/Immunologist. They did the blood test thankfully and not that skin poking test...and he is HIGHLY allergic to cats, alternaria, mold, dander, elm.....No food allergies, so that's good. Unfortunately Sofie had to go. Oh, you don't know who Sofie is? Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged. Well back in March...we went to Friends of Cats and adopted a cat. She was a sweet girl, very pretty. At first she was kinda bloated and farted constantly and puked almost on a daily basis,(what is it with me and barfing pets?) She had worms so I took care of that and switched her food, but she still would ralph occasionally.
She was a wild one and we would let her in the back yard and she would mess up our back yard Eco system by killing everything in sight...lizards, birds, etc. We decided she would stay indoors from then on.
Anyway, Sofie moved out. But this story does have a happy ending..she moved in with Grandma..who lives right here in my complex. (Oh yeah, Grandma moved here in May...)
Lily can go over anytime and visit Ms. Sofie. :)
When the kids start school, I will have all day to myself. I decided not work during the time they are in class, just in case one of them is ill or I have to go get them for whatever reason..
From 9am to 3 pm I will have alone time. I have no clue what the heck I am going to do. I suppose I can focus on me. Do things I want to do... maybe yoga classes, go hiking, cook some exotic recipe and enjoy it without all the 'eww, what the heck is this' and 'oh man I want mac and cheese'.
However..this may be be good for a week, perhaps two, but then what? I already feel lonely and they haven't even started class yet. Lily thinks I should get a puppy to care for. She nuts!
I have been taking care of children for 10 years and suddenly it stops for long periods of time everyday. Maybe I will be the room mom in Jack's class. I already know his teacher....I was a part-time room mommy when Lily was in her class. Who knows.
Today we are all going to Belmont Park. Justin promised Lily a ride on that coaster. Then after that we are going to Alley Cat Festival .
Off to consume large amounts of coffee to wake up....Have a great day!

Crummy Weekend....

Actually it started Friday....Jack had a dentist appointment. He was actually excited about going believe it or not.
We got in and they took us back so he could get xrays. That went pretty smooth. Then back to the dreaded 'chair'..with the ringing of drills and strange smells wafting through the whole place..I shuttered...This place by far makes me weak in the knees...I loathe the dentist...even though it has been eons since I came for a check. If and when I do go I will need to be fully drugged and out of it before I let any one fondle my mouth....
The tech was super nice to little man, and kept asking Jack questions. Jack apparently was speechless and responded with a funny grin, baring all his teeth. I had told him the dentist would want to see all his teeth and that is the only thing that stuck..lol.
While she was cleaning his the teeth, the dentist approached us and stuck the xray film in the thing..(not sure what it is called, but you know what I am talking about..that white thing with the light to check out the xray..) I was watching her..closely..and she kept writing stuff down, then looking at the film, then writing more stuff. She then pauses, looks at me with creepy, shifty eyes, I smile politely and she sneers, turns back to writing. Hmm..that was weird.
Then she looks at me and informs me that Jack has cavities.
"Oh" that is the only thing I muttered..because I thought it was weird for him to have any. He brushes 2x a day..no candy, no soda..and look at Lily..she went to the dentist for the first time when she was 9 and had no cavities.
Then she says not only does he have cavities..but 6 of those little buggers!
I practically choked on my gum.
After regaining my composer...
"WTF?"
Well I didn't really say that but I am presuming by the look on my face, she knew I was completely baffled.
Apparently he has cavities in between teeth, which means that the two teeth will be affected.
Crap.
I asked why they would have to be filled since they were his baby teeth, they are gonna fall out anyway.
Well true, but it will go up into the nerve and to the root she says.
Crap.
They didn't do it then..I wasn't prepared and Jack obviously wasn't either.
Unfortunately, we will be frequenting that wretched office again. Sooner than later.
And if that wasn't bad enough..to top that off Lily had to go to ER on Friday.
Thursday Justin and I were watching a movie while the kids were playing in the backyard. Lily comes in screaming because there is something in her eye. I flush her eye with water and there is a small eyelash in the corner, so I was able to get that out. Whew..that's all it was.
Boy, was I so wrong. She continued to cry..like all night..and finally she stopped when she fell asleep.
I told her if her eye still hurt then she could call me from school and I would come pick her up.
That morning..(after Jacks dental disaster) I was at a friends house..we were going to work out. No less than 5 minutes after I arrive there, the school is calling my cellphone. I go get her and bring her home and immediately call Kaiser. I told them the whole ordeal and tell them her eye is burning and her vision is blurry.
The told me a nurse would call me back in 2 hours.
Whatever..
So we waited and waited..and at exactly the 2 hour mark the phone rings and its the kaiser nurse. She lets me know that any eye issues need to be sent directly to ER..that they won't even take them in the pediatric office.
I was so mad..they couldn't tell me that 2 freaking hours ago?
I get the kids and off we go. I drop Jack off at Justin's office and Lily and I head to the ER.
It was my worse nightmare. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a germophobic hypochondriac...and this is the wrong place to come.
There were countless bloody folks...I counted 4 people with barf buckets and old people moaning. There were about 50 people in there. We found 2 seats in the corner. And there we sat for 3 hours.
Finally they call us and off we went. The nurse was really nice, and he was making jokes with Lily.
We went into 'the eye room' and sat and waited for the doctor..for another 35 minutes. He came in and immediately started some procedures...He did some stain thing and then had her look in this big black eye machine..(sorry folks, I don't know the correct medical terminology) and he did find that she had a very small corneal laceration. Those usually heal on there own in a few days and he wrote a rx for eye drops for pain.
Four hours and $110 later we stopped and grabbed some dinner and went home. I was already 1 1/2 hours late for work.
And wouldn't you know, after that she never once cried or complained about her eye..and to top it off, we never even used the eye drops.

Cajun Chili Cornbread Skillet

This was super good...

The sweetness of the cornbread and the savory spiciness of the chili was fantastic....

First up...

Using a cast iron skillet, brown up one pound of ground turkey...drain

In a a bowl combine the turkey, 15ounces of canned chili, some fresh garlic and 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning..(I however realized at this point that I didn't have this particular spice, so I improvised and threw in some paprika, cumin and black pepper..not sure if that's whats in Cajun...but I was too lazy to research it on the computer)

Next.... slice one green and red bell pepper into rings...for a total of 12 rings..(six each color).

Arrange the pepper rings in the cast iron skillet in a circular pattern, overlapping them.

Chop up some onion and put that over the pepper.

Now put the turkey mixture over the pepper and onions in the skillet.

In another bowl combine 2 8.5 packages of corn bread mix..

3 eggs, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese..Mix well. Add in some more Cajun season (if you have it) to the corn bread mixture.

Pour bread evenly over the turkey.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Loosen edges of cornbread from skillet. Invert onto a large plate.

Sprinkle with more cheese.A dollop of sour cream is nice with this also.

Valentines Day

We had our Valentines Day on Friday actually. My friend watch the kids Friday and then I watched her daughter Saturday. I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to stay home..warm and cozy and just cook and have a cocktail or two.

Its funny when we are alone. I feel like I don't know how to act without the kids here. Its been so long since its been just us. This year I was doing stuff for Justin. I bought some steaks and some veggies to grill...We were going to have some salad..but we decided not too. I even made him a homemade organic carrot cake in a heart shape and some home made chocolates..heart shaped of course. I scoured a few stores to find him a few beers. I like picking out single beers for him. Its kinda fun..This is what I picked out....

Here are a few steps of the cake..I forgot to start photographing it from the beginning And of course the candy.

We played some board games and drank some Whiskey..

We even had enough time for me to belt out some No Doubt on Rock Band2..that was great.

The kids came home around 830pm and we tucked them away in bed.

We really need more of dates like this. :)

Rainy Day Thoughts....

Its raining outside..
No..actually its hailing outside and I have been thinking about this blog for some time now..
Wondering what to do...
Should I only post if I have a good recipe?
Shall I post my most inner thoughts and contemplations?
Well I have been going back and forth on this for quite some time..
Ultimately, I have decided to just blog, to talk and just get thoughts out that have been lingering deep within.
I have been on Facebook for some time now, and really for me the only fun thing is updating your 'status'...
I particularly fancy what Justin says..where does he come up with this stuff..???
Cracks me up.
For some time I thought this blog was morphing into a foodie blog...
But realizing I have more then ingredients to post I have decided its just a blog...no label... no nothing..just my thoughts..
I have missed coming hear and typing away..
So perhaps there will be some grub..
perhaps there will be some ranting...
But there will always be something.
I feel like I am in some weird vortex..or maybe some time lapse where nothing is happening..its weird...
Some days..(like today for example) I feel like running away..
but hey, doesn't that make you a better mom when you make time for yourself?
I miss hiking..its been a week since that has happened. I really want to go tomorrow, but it would be ridiculously muddy..
Justin and Lily will be attending the 'father/daughter dance' soon... and yes of course there will be pictures. I just have to figure out how to be sneaky and capture cute little moments on camera...oh and who will watch Jack while I do that is kinda important too.
So much has happened since the last time I posted...
Eventually I will get it all out...
But for now...
I am off to finish my Cape Cod and enjoy the rain.
Peace.

Finally updated!

Finally I have a moment where I can add a few things. The holidays came and went..(I must say I am so glad its over!)Kids didn't even give a crap about the stuff they got..seriously..in the middle of opening presents Jack throws a gift down and asks if he can go play Donkey Kong...

So yeah..good bye holidays..

I am so ready for Spring..and warmer weather..and more importantly gardening! We are going to do container gardening this time and I can't wait.

In other news I started hiking with a good friend from work..(Hi Kara!) So far we have only been twice..but we shall continue, hopefully conquering a new place each weekend. I've lost 6 pounds which is awesome and better yet, Justin even wants to hike! He even bought himself some hiking shoes! :)

Now..onto some food...

First up is a wicked good Philly Cheese Steak Sammy...

*Thinly slice one onion and one green pepper

*Drizzle in some oil in a hot skillet

*Saute until onions are translucent(maybe 10 minutes)

*Next up add in some sliced roast beef..I get mine at the deli counter at the local grocery store. It tastes better than the pre packaged crap.

*Cook until thoroughly heated..then add some A-1 sauce...

*Slice open a long roll and add some Provolone and Munster,

put it under the broiler for like 2 minutes until its all eewy gooey, melted.

*Pile up the meat and veggie mixture over the top..

*Enjoy...p.s. have the napkins handy..this is disgustingly messy!

Now..for something a little more healthy...

*For lunch today I gathered these items...

3 parsnips, one celery root..(that's the weird monstrosity sitting there) and 3 potatoes.

*Clean and peel all veggies. Be prepared to get a serious workout when shredding these..that celery root is a bitch to grate! Use your cheese grater.

*Put all this in a bowl and add some salt, pepper and olive oil.

*Heat your skillet with some spray and throw down a pile of that shredded goodness. Cook for about 5ish minutes on one side..(you'll see it turning golden brown..that's when you flip it)

Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add some sides if you want..I used a bit of sour cream and fire roasted salsa..

Lily LOVED this...Jack..well whatever..hes so freaking picky these days..

I made some Oatmeal Scotties for a man at Justin's work..he always loved it when I made those, so he got a huge tin for Christmas...

Kids put together a authentic German gingerbread house...

and finally, Santa was pleasantly surprised when he stopped by our pad... :)

That's all for now..I will be a regular blogger again..now that all the holiday stuff is over...pinky swear!