Resolving to Reduce...in 2011

I never make resolutions, why would I, I would just ignore them like everyone else does theirs!

So this year I have one simple goal.. A very attainable goal..

Simply to Reduce....

A simple plan that can be achieved in many different areas..

Reduce my weight...

Reduce my stress...( LOL.. still not sure how to do THAT!)

Reduce clutter in this house

Reduce debt

Reduce(hopefully) costs... more careful spending to help with that debt reduction...

Mentally I am already cleaning the basement! I have piles sorted down there and I know which will go to the donation center at church(clothing with life still left )..

which items I will take to the Crisis Pregnancy Center(crib mattress, mattress covers, crib sheets),

which items I can drop at the local Head Start Center( some educational toys, lots of books etc)

Now if only I could reduce that Mini Van..... Need to keep posting that on Craigslist!

Losing it....

I am starting the New Year weighing 12lbs less then I did when I started December!!!!

Here is to being a **LOSER** next year!1

The first *official* day of Summer break!

Actually it was last Friday but I planned so many things that day there was real vacation involved!

So we start today! I want to have some sort of schedule to the day. I absolutely hate to look at the clock and see 1145am and realize nothing has been accomplished. Relaxation is fine and well.. laziness bothers me! So I did allow some video games this morning while I did a few things. Then I shut them down! Then I got the kids moving along! So far- on this fine cold windy June day I/we have:
played some video games
taken dirty laundry downstairs and pulled the dry out and flipped loads.
Emptied the clean dishwasher and put them away.
Made the kids breakfast and loaded those dishes into the empty washer
Make my hubby a mug of coffee and took it to his work. ( okay fine i carried it over to the recliner.. but still I did that!)
ordered everyone dressed, all teeth brushed and beds made.
library books gathered and off to the library for new books, sign up for summer activities and some educational computer games.
Ran to the grocery store for dog food( I keep forgetting that one!)
Home again!
I fixed the kids a quick morning snack of juice and strawberries.
Took the kids outside and instructed them to pick up all toys/chairs/junk in the yard and put it away so I could mow.
Pulled out the tractor and mowed the back yard. Had kids help me pull all the trimmed bushes behind the barn so I could mow around the fire pit.
Came in and prepared lunch for the kids, b/c no one mentioned to daddy they still had not eaten lunch!
Time to load lunch dishes into the machine and check on defrosting turkey breast that will be tonight's supper.
(kids are currently fighting over who gets to sweep the basement where Michael is working between calls/meetings)



So far this is my day.. a work in progress. There will be days I do more.. and days I do much less!

Time to use those brand new permanent markers..

I defrosted a freezer bag of cooked chicken yesterday. Half the bag went onto a yummy BBQ chicken pizza.. The rest was just staring at me in the fridge. The obvious answer is soup. Too bad my people don't like soup. Then I thought about a MoM's friend who just had a baby.. Soup is a simple lunch.. you scoop out the veggies and noodles and give that to the kids. So I decided to whip it up and then let it do its thing while I ran a few errands.
Into the fridge/freezer I went. Last of a bag of carrots, few stalks of celery, bay leaves, frozen quart bag of homemade chicken stock, baggies of leftover canned broth I froze instead of wasting.
Into the pot went the frozen broth to defrost. I scraped and chopped the carrots, finely chopped the celery leaves and chunked the celery down.. perfect sizes for toddler fingers. I grabbed a can of broth to give more liquid. A few shakes of black pepper, a few garlic cloves cracked for a fresher homemade flavor. I tossed the veggies into the liquid and turned the crock pot on to warm. I figure I will toss the hot liquid into the crock and the veggies will have lots of time to soften.
Before I go to dump the soup I grab a spoon to taste for seasoning... The first taste was not right... I stirred it a bit more and tried again...

CRAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP! That last little baggie was not the dregs of a can of broth.. it was lemon juice..... Now only if I were Greek could I save this pot....

Sorry Amanda... No soup for you!

It is Ohio... There will be snow in Feb.. GET OVER IT!

I am cracking up at newspaper articles where people are talking about being "over " all the snow.. ready for spring etc.. Maybe they missed the memo that Ohio can have snow into May.. That Spring is not a guarantee here in O-HI-O. Head south my friend! Head south...

So MY big complaint is not really that big... I am so grateful that our school system has this cool auto dial line where they call you and tell you school is cancelled. The downside .. that call comes at 540am.. and scares me every time. The positive is I roll over and turn the alarm off. DONE! try to go back to sleep.

So this morning the dog wanted to go out. I ignored her for a while but she is persistent so I was up at 315am taking her out. Seriously what are the chances that at that exact moment, you know where I am standing in the door to my house wearing only a t shirt... the road crew drives down the main road and turns onto my street to plow. Dog is barking, I have no doubt the neighbors could hear her. I flipped the lights off and hoped that the plow driver couldn't see anything/ wasn't paying attn.

So I was actually surprised school was called off.. roads were being worked on all night, plowed and salted. Must be the amount of snow. It is still snowing - late morning. I am putting off pulling out the snow blower. I hate to have to do that with the kids in the house. Un-At-tended... that is the equivalent to TROUBLE!

I am sure I will have to do it.. I *will* take photos so send to my sweetie. So he can see what he is missing here in OHIO!

Madeline-isms

Sometimes after talking to my daughter I am left scratching my head.. The things she says make me wonder what is going on in that head .. Today...for example.. she says..

"WHEW! That snow is so deep.. I was almost stuck to death...- while playing in the backyard and trying to walk through drifts.

" Mama.. when we go inside can we have some hot chocolate so I can cool off?"- there was snow.. I don't need to explain that it was NOT hot outside

THEN after brushing her teeth I had her rinse with kids ACT fluoride rinse. She informs me...

" That pink is burning me.. It is burning my eyes so bad. " so I ask her. Did you get it in your eyes?
" NO, just in my mouth.. and it is making my eyes burn SO badly"

Happy February!!! ( forget that it is already the 7th)

I am such a liar! I swore to myself I would try to post something everyday.. I obviously am not as interesting as I thought I could be...

Lets see.. What do I want to remember in 5 years....
We got a LOT of snow this weekend... Woke up Sat and there was so much snow the side door was drifted up to the door handle...
There was so much snow the front door could not open to let the poor dog out.
Michael was so excited to be able to get out and actually PLAY with his new snowblower. We called across the street and told Bob to not kill his back trying to shovel out. Michael walked out our drive. Across the road to blow out B/E. Bob filled the blow with gas and Michael headed next door and helped M finish his driveway. THEN he headed down and started in on J/M drive. He caught up with F and they figured that they took care of everyone that needed the help.

The kids are trying to figure out the mystery of the missing bird feeder. The 2liter soda bottle feeder.. The bottle is MIA... there are no footprints in the back yard... it was tied in at one point.. HMMMMMMM Swiper the fox? A crazy squirrel? You be the judge...

I was awoken this morning to defend Madeline. Ben offended her by accusing her of being "Born in the 90's"... I have no idea what I am going to do when they all hit puberty..

The Saints won the superbowl.. not that I actually watched the superbowl.. but it was background noise...