The Call from School

The other day about lunch time, I received a phone call from Prince's teacher.  She informed me that he had to move his car to yellow light for something he did in the lunch room, but that he wouldn't calm down and stop crying to now complete his work.  She asked if I would talk to him.
Prince gets on the phone and is clearly upset.  Here's the conversation that took place:
Me: What happened?
Prince: I got in trouble for spitting through a straw at lunch.
Me: Why would you do that?
Prince: I didn't want the spit in my mouth.  (I will never understand why boys do the things they do and how they think!)
Me:  OK well that's gross and we'll talk about it when we get home, but right now you have got to suck it up, deal with it and do your work.
Prince: OK Mom.  I remember you told me before "I can do all things through Jesus Christ.  He makes me strong."
Me: That's right, you can.  So ask Jesus to help you pull it together and get your work done.
Prince: OK Mom.

Shortly after we hung up, I was with our pastor, relaying this story to him.  He chuckled and said, "I can hear his prayer now.  'Dear Jesus, please help me to suck it up and deal with it so I can get my work done.'"

Sometimes that needs to be my prayer too...Dear Lord, please help me to suck it up and deal with it and move on to the next thing.

Busy Busy Bee

Where has the time gone?  I have started several posts, but not had time to finish any of them and I can't believe it's been weeks  months since I've posted!  We have been having too much fun around here!  Between volunteering at the twins' school, working at church, and all of the Thanksgiving festivities, we've been on the go!  I have written many a wonderful blog post in my head, it just never made it on the computer.  Trust me, they were truly inspired. 

We had a momentous occasion a few weeks ago.  Hubby was home from work one day and decided he would help catch up the laundry for me.  Well it finally happened.  Thanks to his hard work followed by a few days of me washing and folding, we got everything cleaned and folded.  (Yes, you heard me right, it took me a couple of days to finish)  As I stood in the garage looking at our empty hampers I felt a sense of accomplishment.  I could actually hear the Hallelujah Chorus.  This lasted for all of 30 seconds as Princess came in with her dirty clothes from school to start the process all over again.  *Sigh*  Here we go again.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, having 23 at our house for dinner.  The food was delicious, but the fellowship was the best thing about it.  All of the hard work of cleaning and cooking paid off with quality family time.  We are truly blessed to have such a close knit family. 

Since Thanksgiving, aside from the usual Christmas busyness, our household has battled bronchitis, ear infections, diverticulitis, and the flu.  I was the one with the flu just last week and am so thankful to be back among the living.  This has put me way behind schedule though, so I've got to kick it into gear.  If you usually get a Christmas card from me, they're coming, I promise!

So glad to be back in blog land! 

Tag, I'm It!

I have been tagged.  My blogging friend Erin, over at Is It Bedtime Yet? tagged me in a blogging game.  Erin and I share a love for the most magical place on Earth, Disney World.  I have to answer 8 questions that she has asked and then tag 8 more people. 
So here goes...
1) What has been the most surprising aspect of motherhood in your experience? If you're not a mom, what is it like to go to the bathroom in privacy?

Since I am a mom, I don't remember what it's like to go to the bathroom in privacy.  I think there are a lot of surprising things about motherhood.  Mostly for me that you don't get a full night's sleep again.  Ever.  Not even after they are sleeping through the night.  I am a person who values sleep and I need my 8 hours 9 hours a night, which I never get.  Also, that two little creatures can make such a HUGE mess is record time and generate such a large amount of laundry.  For more revelations on motherhood, click HERE and read my Mother's Day post.

2) How often do you shave your legs in the winter?
Not very...when Hubby starts making comments about braiding the hair on my legs I shave.  I'm kidding ~ mostly.  Before kids I never thought of shaving my legs as a luxury.  I now know differently.  Most days I feel lucky to get a shower.

3) What's your favorite thing to do online? If shopping, what site?
Read blogs, write my blog, see what everyone is up to on facebook.
4) If you already possessed the necessary education and experience level, what would you choose for your dream job?
This is a hard question because I'm not really sure what I want to be when I grow up.  I am really happy as a preschool director/teacher because I get to play all day.  However, if I could be something else, it would be one of the following:
*Personal Shopper ~ I love looking for a deal and what could be better than spending someone else's money?!
*Author ~ I love to write, even though it seems lately I've got writer's block. 
*Chef ~ I have grown rather fond of experimenting in the kitchen.  However, I really would like to have my own person that cleans it all up when I'm done. 
*Pastor ~ I have felt God's call into some sort of ministry for a long time.  I'm not sure that it is necessarily a preaching ministry, but pastoring and helping people make my heart happy.  I feel that visiting, praying, listening and helping are some of my gifts and I want to use those to God's glory.  Fun fact: Before Hubby and I were married I had applied to go to seminary.  This dream has been put on the back burner, but not forgotten.
5) Share a "last-minute" dinner recipe. No pancake balls, please.
For the lovely pancake ball recipe, visit Erin's blog Here and see number 8 on her tag.
My last minute dinners usually involve ground beef.  It goes like this:
1. Call Hubby and ask what he wants me to cook for dinner.
Me: What do you want for dinner?
H: What do we have?
Me: Ground beef. 
H:  What are my options?
Me: Anything I can make with ground beef.  You know what we normally have with ground beef.  So what do you want?
DH (Darling Hubby): What do we have on hand that you can make?
Me:  You know, the usual.
DH: What is the usual?
Me: Spaghetti, chili, tacos, goulash, stroganoff, sloppy joes...
DH: What else?
Me: That's the list.
DH:  I don't care.  Whatever you want to make.
Me: But what do you want?  How about if I make ___________? (insert whatever strikes my fancy here)
DH:  OK (sounding not so thrilled)
Me: Well, what would you like?
DH: I don't care.  Whatever you want is fine. (in a sort of Eeyore voice)
Me: It doesn't sound fine.  What do you want?
DH: Just pick something.  I'll be home in an hour.
2. Cook what I want to cook anyway.  I love chili because it is a one pot meal and so low maintenance!  Here is my chili recipe:
Brown and drain the ground beef.  Return to pot and dump in: canned tomatoes, rotel, canned beans and bring to a boil.  Let it simmer.  That's it.  Serve in a bowl with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese.

Tacos:
Brown and drain ground beef.  Heat up taco shells.  Heat up a can of refried beans.  Serve with shredded cheese, salsa (this covers the tomatoes and onions), sour cream, etc.  No hassle and it's quick.  If I'm feeling like a really good mommy, I add a can of black beans to the meat for more fiber. 

These are my go-to meals, but I do enjoy cooking when time allows.  I enjoy trying new recipes and making them my own.  I also really enjoy stealing healthy recipes from The Queen of Brussels Sprouts.  I've known her for many years and we even were roomies once.  She has great ideas on how to infuse nutritious ingredients into your meals.

6) Do you speed or drive the speed limit?
I mostly drive the speed limit.  My sister says I drive like a granny.  It's more like I can think of a lot of things I'd rather spend money on than a speeding ticket.  Fun fact:  I've never had a speeding ticket.

7) If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?
Right where I am.  I love living in Florida.  I do wish we had actual seasons, though.
8) What kind of new vacuum should I buy?
We just bought a new vacuum yesterday.  Ours bit the dust (so to speak) right before my in-laws came for a visit last weekend.  We decided on the Hoover Wind Tunnel Self-Propelled.  I borrowed my mom's and I liked it.  Hopefully it holds up well.  We shall see.

Thanks, Erin for tagging me.  This was fun! 
I don't think I have 8 people to tag.  My favorite bloggers have already been tagged and done this. 

Hit Me Baby One More Time

It has been an extremely busy week and I am glad to see Friday is here!  Our Saturday promises to be busy as well, but at least I'll be spending it with my family. 

Yesterday I took the Prince and Princess to get their flu shots.  This is always a dreaded thing because Princess worries over the shot the entire way there.  Yesterday took the cake though.  This is the conversation in the back seat as I was driving them to the doctor's office:
Princess: Prince, hit me in the arm real hard so I can practice getting a shot.
Prince: Really?
Princess:  No, that wasn't hard enough.  Do it again harder 'cause shots hurt more than that.
Prince hits her again.
Princess: No, harder.  You know, shots really hurt bad.  You've got to hit me really hard.
Prince hits her again.
Princess:  OK that was better, you hit me hard, but I still think that the shot is going to hurt worse than that.
Thankfully, Prince didn't hit her anymore.  He was over that game since she actually wanted him to do it.

We get to the doctor's office, where my wonderful best friend is their nurse practitioner.  We see Dr. Aunt Best Friend, who informs me that Princess has an ear infection.  "She does?  She hasn't even complained of any ear aches!"  Always makes me feel like a great mom to learn that my kids are sick and I don't even know it.  So Dr. Aunt Best Friend writes the scripts for antibiotics, we talk for a minute and then she sends the nurse in to give the shots.  Prince was very brave.  He wanted to watch her give him the shot and refused to look away.  Princess was another story all together.  They get the shot in their leg, and as I tried to lay her back on the table she began to scream this blood curdling scream that I'm sure could be heard around the block.  She stopped screaming when the shot went in.  She is such a Drama Mama.  UGH!  Anywho, they have had their flu shots and Hubby's had his.  Mine will be next week and then we are all good. 
Get your flu shot, everyone!  That little pinch is worth not getting the flu!

Space: The Final Frontier

Last weekend was Family Day at Kennedy Space Center.  As a Booster Brat, I have grown up going to these, but this one was somehow different.  It was different because this was the last time we'd be out there while the Space Shuttle is in flight.  I don't really remember life before the Space Shuttle.  When it first flew, I was quite small and growing up around it, I have always taken it for granted. 



Prince and Princess met Astronaut Chris Ferguson.  He was so great to talk to.

 Prince wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.  He enjoyed interviewing Mr. Ferguson about what it is like to go into space. 

 Here we are in front of the VAB. (Vehicle Assembly Building)  My Grandaddy worked in this building many years ago.  Whenever I walk through those doors, I am in awe of how huge this building is!  I also get sentimental thinking of the generations that have worked side by side through the years on the different launch vehicles. 

 This is me, my Mema, Prince, my Mom, and Princess in NASA's Headquarters Building. 

 Princess pretends to be the Public Affairs Officer in the Firing Room.  What she really wanted to be was the Launch Director and push the button to launch the shuttle! 

 Princess and Prince explore parts from the wheels of the Space Shuttle. 

Thousands of families have spent their lives involved in the space program.  Generations of engineers, technicians, support personnel have worked together as a giant family and taken great pride in being on the cutting edge of new scientific discoveries.  My family has been a part of this important work.  Grandfathers on both sides, parents, aunts and uncles, brother-in-law...and it's coming to an end soon.  We are all grieving the end of manned space flight with no other plan on the horizon.  Tomorrow about a thousand people will be laid off from their jobs.  Thankfully, my family members are able to keep their jobs, but there are many families who won't be so lucky.  Please pray as our community goes through a huge and traumatic transition.  We don't know what the future holds for our area, but we are hopeful that our government will realize the value of manned space flight and perhaps Prince really will be able to become an astronaut when he grows up.

A Sauer Kraut

Last night I had to make a quick trip to the store for milk.  I am such a bad mommy.  Somehow I let us run out of milk and juice!  Sure, we had juice boxes for lunch, and we had grapefruit juice, but my kids aren't big fans of grapefruit juice.  These days I only go one place to buy milk, and that is Aldi.  It's at least a dollar cheaper a gallon and there aren't any artificial growth hormones in it so that's a plus!  Anyway, as I walked into the store, I was surrounded by packages of German food (I'm guessing Oktoberfest?) when a jar of sauer kraut caught my eye.  To tell you the truth, I'm not overly fond of the stuff but I found myself picking up a jar of it and putting it in my cart.  That jar of sauer kraut took me down memory lane.  It wasn't just a jar of pickeled cabbage, it reminded me of times spent with my Pop-pop and how much I miss him.  Pop-pop was my dad's step-dad and he was the only grandfather I ever knew on that side of the family.  He never had children of his own, but he always treated us as if we were his and it wasn't until I was older that I ever knew the difference.  My Pop-pop loved to go to Oktoberfest and at least once I can remember him taking us with them.  He loved polka music, which I wasn't really exposed to except for his influence.  He also had a sign in his home office that I loved.  It said, "A grouchy German is a Sauer Kraut."  I thought of him as I bought that jar of sauer kraut.  Some night soon I will eat it for dinner and remember.  For now, it is sitting on my counter so I can look at it and think of him.  Before he died, I went to the nursing home to visit and he said something I never expected.  He said, "you have been a good grandaughter to me, but you have also been a great friend."  Pop-pop was never really a touchy feely kind of person so those words were precious and they will stay with me forever.  Isn't it funny how such a mundane task as buying milk can turn into something so special?


This is Pop-pop and Nanny holding my sister.



We've Got Spirit

This week is Spirit Week at Princess and Prince's school. This means they don't have to wear uniforms this week. Prince is pretty go with the flow as far as what he wears, although he doesn't particularly like to go all wild and crazy. Princess, on the other hand, is very particular about what she wears. Monday was Tacky Day. As I woke Princess up I said, "Let's find something tacky for you to wear," to which Princess responded, "Mommy, I don't own anything tacky!" How did I end up with such a little diva?!
Tuesday was "Camo Day." We didn't have any camo so last week I went to Wal-Mart and found camo shirts so they could participate. Tuesday morning, Prince got up and put on his clothes with no problem. Princess, however, saw the shirts and began to cry. This was followed by 20 minutes of: these clothes are ugly, I don't want to wear them. I could identify with how Princess feels, as I don't really like to dress silly either. The conversation that ensued was about how she didn't have to wear it, but if she didn't participate every day this week she wouldn't get a "NUT" coupon (no uniform today) for Friday.  I explained that this is just the beginning of having to jump through hoops to get what you want in life.  She finally decided to wear the camo shirt but was quite explicit that as soon as she got home she would take it right off. 

Yesterday was red, white, and blue day and it was also "See you at the pole" day.  The entire school met in the gym yesterday morning and it was such an uplifting time.  I was quite impressed that the middle school students led the assembly.  The children were divided into grade levels and older students were assigned to help facilitate prayer with the younger students.  It was amazing to see all of these children in guided corporate prayer.  These children are our future and I am so glad to see the Christian leadership at such a young age.  They were praying for each other, praying for their school, their principal and his leadership, praying for our country and president.  I was blessed to be able to stay and be a part of this special time.  (I had a homeroom mom meeting afterwards).

Well, we made it through Green and Gold day today and both children were awarded NUT coupons for tomorrow.  They are excited that they can choose what they want to wear to school tomorrow.  All in all, I'd say it's been a pretty good week!