your life is uneventful....you get thrown a curve ball! Yesterday I blogged about our "not much is Happening," life. Funny how fast that can change.
Benjy got home early from court and the phone rang as I was finishing up a bath/shower. I came out to hear Benjy very strongly, slightly yelling at Kaydree's teacher on the phone. This is along the lines of what I heard him saying, "NO...Ms. ____ (privacy reasons) this is your problem. You lost her, you call the bus depot and have them stop the bus and see if she is on it! I will wait while YOU, do that! You can get ahold of them a lot faster then I can and we are not going to wait 20 minutes just to see if she is on the bus!"
Kaydree went to lost and found right at the end of the day, which is right by the school's front doors. While she was looking for a lost glove her bus came and all the students got on. The librarian was helping Kaydree and told her to just get on. Kaydree's teacher didn't see her come back to the room so she sent another teacher out to her bus to make sure she was on it. I guess the teacher asked for a Katie Wisconsin or something similiar, which Kaydree said didn't sound anything like her name, so she didn't answer. The teacher went back in as the bus left the school and said, "Kaydree isn't on the bus." So her teacher called and said, "Kaydree wasn't on the bus and we can't find her, here at the school. Can you call us back and let us know if she got off the bus?"
Well it takes Kaydree's bus anywhere from 20-30 minutes to get home, so Benjy and I both were thinking...if she isn't on the bus we aren't going to wait 20-30 minutes to see. Needless to say after some strong persuasion, they got a hold of the bus driver and he asked if there was a Kaydree on his bus and she stood up.
When Kaydree got home we couldn't decide if we wanted to punish her or hug her. (Kaydree takes after her mother.... I already made two trips to the school this week for a forgotten check for a yearbook and a forgotten lunch on my backseat!) She has lost two jean jackets, 3 pairs of mittens and a couple single mittens! I tell you what.... that child sometimes gets the best of my one little nerve left and knows how to push my buttons. Well...maybe my buttons do get pushed a lot easier by her because we are so much alike. I see the things developing in her that I don't like about myself! So I try to over correct those issues in my daughter so that she isn't 33 and still losing anything that isn't attached!
To make the already strained tension worse...this morning she left pouting and all mad at Benjy and I for debating on cancelling our weekend at the water park/hotel in Iowa. Karsyn has a runny nose and is showing signs of her reoccurring croup. So how much fun would it be for Karsyn to have to sit and watch all of her cousins swimming? Chlorine is not the best for her throat, breathing and croup! Why didn't someone tell me there would be moments like this...
Oh..and by the way...everyone that posted a comment yesterday is going to get something handmade by me, sometime in the next year because you all hit everything on my list, well except Andrea! ;-) She did my what I would not want to be doing list...and gave me a great laugh, (you know me well!) The rest of you shocked the shorts off of me by how accurate you all were! Love ya all and thanks for making my day! I can't guarantee my homemade gift will make your day, but I will try!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Writer's Block.
WE have been doing well. I don't know how to describe how I have felt over the last couple of days. I guess we have been kind of chillin'. Life has been uneventful for the most part...so I have saved this post for the "Pay it Forward" thing.
I got this cute handmade picture frame from my friend Nicole. She also put together some bulbs in glass containers, which I thought were very cute and creative ideas. Even though making things is not my forte', I have agreed to play along. I think it goes something like this: the first 3 people to post a comment will get something hand made from me sometime in the next year.
I want to change it up a little. Instead of the first 3 people winning, I am going to pick 3 people that would guess the closest 5 things I would like to do if I had an extra hour of time each day. When the girls are at school and Benjy is at work...I find myself having a lot of extra time. What do you think I often do? List 5 things:
I got this cute handmade picture frame from my friend Nicole. She also put together some bulbs in glass containers, which I thought were very cute and creative ideas. Even though making things is not my forte', I have agreed to play along. I think it goes something like this: the first 3 people to post a comment will get something hand made from me sometime in the next year. I want to change it up a little. Instead of the first 3 people winning, I am going to pick 3 people that would guess the closest 5 things I would like to do if I had an extra hour of time each day. When the girls are at school and Benjy is at work...I find myself having a lot of extra time. What do you think I often do? List 5 things:
Friday, January 30, 2009
Choice vs. Opportunity Costs:
Yesterday I worked as an EBD teacher that supported the classroom teacher. I got to sit through 3 Senior Economics Classes. I heard the same lecture three times on Choice and Opportunity Costs. So the students had to pick 5 things they would do if they had an extra hour every day, but each of those 5 things had to equal an hour by themselves. They then had to choose one thing of those things to do over the others.
Interesting enough...by subbing I was making the choice to sub and my opportunity cost was missing out in the morning with helping with the girls.
Two things learned yesteday... balance is possible but communication is the KEY...
On the days that I sub...the girls have decided they like it when their dad gets them ready.
As Kaydree puts it:
1. He lets us turn on the television in the morning and watch Disney Channel.
2. He lets us eat whatever we want like: cookies, brownies, donuts, chips....ect.
3. He lets me wear whatever I want.
4. He lets me do my hair whatever way I want...even if it means not at all.
Now I must admit that I don't mind a break from the morning routine because the morning somehow can end up being the most stressful time of the day. Trying to get everyone out the door and moving in the right direction or at least in the same direction can be a challenge!
Now I will tell you that my husband/my eternal companion/best friend should get the FATHER OF YEAR AWARD for yesterday morning!
Isn't she so cute? Just had to add this picture!
When Benjy dropped Karsyn off at school he noticed it was pajama day. He called me and said, " Everyone was in their pajama's except for Karsyn, so I quick ran to Kmart and got her some pajamas and a pair of pink lined crocs..."(second pair in a month.) Benjy was already going to be a little late for a CLE class downtown and now he was really running late. He told me.."Kristen, you should have seen her little lip quivering, she was trying to be such a good girl about it, but she was so sad...I just had to go get her some pajamas and she couldn't wear her boots all day with them!"
Here are the new adorable pajamas, he did such a good job picking out cute little valentine penguins!
Her second pair of lined crocs, however these were on clearance for $5. Good job Benjy, I have taught you well! ;-)
Now for the second catastrophe that hit my sweet husband..he noticed on his way out the door that it was Karsyn's turn to bring a snack for her class. He could have went downstairs to our food storage and could have grabbed a couple boxes of granola bars...which we have as you can see from this picture. Although it would have been interesting if he had brought a bunch of fiber one bars for 4-5 year olds! ;-0
Benjy forgot we had them and he said, "besides what kid wants a granola bar?" So he went to the gas station and bought Vanilla Wafers, Cheez-its and M&M's: "healthy enough, right?"
Except he accidentally grabbed HOT and SPICY...... oops! Let's just say Karsyn's class did not even try the Cheez-its! LOL...
Interesting enough...by subbing I was making the choice to sub and my opportunity cost was missing out in the morning with helping with the girls.
Two things learned yesteday... balance is possible but communication is the KEY...
On the days that I sub...the girls have decided they like it when their dad gets them ready.
As Kaydree puts it:
1. He lets us turn on the television in the morning and watch Disney Channel.
2. He lets us eat whatever we want like: cookies, brownies, donuts, chips....ect.
3. He lets me wear whatever I want.
4. He lets me do my hair whatever way I want...even if it means not at all.
Now I must admit that I don't mind a break from the morning routine because the morning somehow can end up being the most stressful time of the day. Trying to get everyone out the door and moving in the right direction or at least in the same direction can be a challenge!
Now I will tell you that my husband/my eternal companion/best friend should get the FATHER OF YEAR AWARD for yesterday morning!
Isn't she so cute? Just had to add this picture!When Benjy dropped Karsyn off at school he noticed it was pajama day. He called me and said, " Everyone was in their pajama's except for Karsyn, so I quick ran to Kmart and got her some pajamas and a pair of pink lined crocs..."(second pair in a month.) Benjy was already going to be a little late for a CLE class downtown and now he was really running late. He told me.."Kristen, you should have seen her little lip quivering, she was trying to be such a good girl about it, but she was so sad...I just had to go get her some pajamas and she couldn't wear her boots all day with them!"
Here are the new adorable pajamas, he did such a good job picking out cute little valentine penguins!
Her second pair of lined crocs, however these were on clearance for $5. Good job Benjy, I have taught you well! ;-)Now for the second catastrophe that hit my sweet husband..he noticed on his way out the door that it was Karsyn's turn to bring a snack for her class. He could have went downstairs to our food storage and could have grabbed a couple boxes of granola bars...which we have as you can see from this picture. Although it would have been interesting if he had brought a bunch of fiber one bars for 4-5 year olds! ;-0
Benjy forgot we had them and he said, "besides what kid wants a granola bar?" So he went to the gas station and bought Vanilla Wafers, Cheez-its and M&M's: "healthy enough, right?"
Except he accidentally grabbed HOT and SPICY...... oops! Let's just say Karsyn's class did not even try the Cheez-its! LOL...I have to tell you... last night as Kaydree and I sat reading our books, all cuddled up in blankets and Benjy and Karsyn were putting together a puzzle...I thought..."Is it possible to love someone so much?" I texted him to tell him that I was sorry that I hadn't communicated all of that to him, he was so sweet and said, "It was no big deal!" He still makes my heart skip a beat when I think about how much he loves me and our little girls!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I May Have Gone a Little Too Far...this time!
On Sunday Mornings, Benjy leaves about 2 hours before the girls and I do in order to go to a Meeting. This Sunday I was having a bad hair/wrinkly forehead looking day. So I asked Kaydree to get some scissors. She brought up some fisker childproof pink ones and I started cutting! Kaydree just about died! She was half laughing/half in shock, "MOM.... what are you doing, what did you do!" I have been known to do this from time to time dating back to Middle school! A great example I am being to my girls, right?
Here is a nice chunk of some that I cut off. I thought Benjy would laugh when he saw me walk into church. Instead I got, "I really really like your hair!" So, I was feeling somewhat confident until yesterday... things went very wrong. Here is a picture.
I volunteered in Kaydree's class and she said, "Mom... your bangs are crooked and one of my friends said, "Your mom looks really different!" Which I think translated into...."What did your mom do to her hair?" Last night Benjy and Kaydree both told me I looked like a boy! Yikes! Aren't they nice?????? Karsyn said, "Mom I love your new bangs, I think you look pretty!"
This morning when I was getting ready to teach at Anoka High School, I decided I better take a little more time and effort to make my hair look somewhat presentable! I thought it looked decent from this angle? Thanks to Andrea, I am going to a Salon that will fix my spur of the moment desperation on Tuesday!
Here is a nice chunk of some that I cut off. I thought Benjy would laugh when he saw me walk into church. Instead I got, "I really really like your hair!" So, I was feeling somewhat confident until yesterday... things went very wrong. Here is a picture.
I volunteered in Kaydree's class and she said, "Mom... your bangs are crooked and one of my friends said, "Your mom looks really different!" Which I think translated into...."What did your mom do to her hair?" Last night Benjy and Kaydree both told me I looked like a boy! Yikes! Aren't they nice?????? Karsyn said, "Mom I love your new bangs, I think you look pretty!"
This morning when I was getting ready to teach at Anoka High School, I decided I better take a little more time and effort to make my hair look somewhat presentable! I thought it looked decent from this angle? Thanks to Andrea, I am going to a Salon that will fix my spur of the moment desperation on Tuesday!Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Recipes Per Your Request:
Some of you have asked for the recipes from my determination to use up flour. Here they are:
Someone asked for the recipe. Some also call it Salt dough? Here are some more professional looking pieces. WE didn't do the cut outs yet, but the girls loved this stuff. I love the smell...Benjy not soooo much!
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
Directions:PREHEAT oven to 375° F.COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Someone asked for the recipe. Some also call it Salt dough? Here are some more professional looking pieces. WE didn't do the cut outs yet, but the girls loved this stuff. I love the smell...Benjy not soooo much!Baker's Clay Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup water
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl and knead until smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
Make shapes and bake at 300 degrees until set and golden (1/2 hr to 1 hr). For a more golden appearance, paint with a beaten egg when it is almost done baking and looks dry. You can paint with egg twice or three times for a darker golden color. Don't use the egg on colored dough.
Make shapes and bake at 300 degrees until set and golden (1/2 hr to 1 hr). For a more golden appearance, paint with a beaten egg when it is almost done baking and looks dry. You can paint with egg twice or three times for a darker golden color. Don't use the egg on colored dough.
As for the cookies, well I am a little humbled to tell you that I got it off of the back of my chocolate chip bag. Here it is:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
Directions:PREHEAT oven to 375° F.COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
ENJOY>>>> Ya' ALL!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My Determination to Use up Extra Flour!
Since I had extra flour that wouldn't fit into my extra containers...
I made Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Look at the height of my cookies I was so shocked! I had to take a picture.
And another picture... actually there were lots of pictures, I picked my favorite two. What can I say...with a new camera and cookies actually turning out...how could I resist?
Benjy came home and couldn't believe his eyes and then he tasted them and said, "Who brought cookies over?" I told him I baked them and he said, "These look and taste like real cookies!" Yay me!!!!! I did it!!!! I can't tell you how excited I was...am! I think I have told plenty of people who won't be surprised to see this post! Hee Hee.....
After the cookies were done...I had a huge bowl of flour left...so I got on the internet and pulled up my favorite childhood past time... and made Bakers Clay! (remember mom?)
The results: Karsyn's spider...with help from dad.
Kaydree making a turtle...
Kaydree's is on the top and Benjy's is on the bottom!
Okay...I couldn't resist...just one more picture of my cookies.
Well, I had to add my favorite picture! I might frame these...Just kidding...well? maybe..Monday, January 26, 2009
Feeling a Little Defensive....
I preface this post with this... my children are sleeping, my husband is in the shower and I have already read the Ensign this morning. Someone recently said that they took some time off of blogging to "be a better mom." I often get asked, "How do you find time to blog?"
My response is this...it takes me anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the day, to make a post on our blog. If I were keeping a written journal, it would easily take that long.... if not longer. The majority of my post are done in the early morning hours when my family is sleeping, well...except for Charlee or on a 90 minute prep when I am subbing.
Also.... I do not watch T.V. We have one show that Benjy and I enjoy watching together..on Monday nights at 8:00 for one hour. Other than that....I do not sit in front of the Television, so replace my blogging time with one 1/2 hour show and there you go....that is how I find the time.
I feel a little defensive because I have had people tell or insinuate.... that somehow those of "us" that are bloggers are not as good of moms or friends because we blog? Well to this...I say... I know that someday my children, Benjy and I will look at these blog books and be very grateful that we have these memories for us and for our generations to come.
Even if I tried.... I couldn't even put into words how much I would treasure these thoughts, memories and testimonies if I had them from my grandparents that have already passed away.
We all have the same amount of time...how we choose to balance our time is up to us and not for someone else to decide. Now...if Benjy or my girls told me that they were feeling neglected, I would get up at midnight and sacrafice my own sleep, if that is what it took.
I have some very private and heart felt eternal reasons why I blog...that I may share.... just not at this time.
I want to end this post with this...for all of you... that have shared with me how much you have enjoyed our blog and how much you hope that I never stop... (Aunt Judy...) I have promised you that I will not.... I want to thank those of you and tell you how much I love you for supporting and trusting in my ability and desire to constantly balance and make the most of my time on this earth because someday...I will be gone... but my memories will be available for my loved ones!
My response is this...it takes me anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the day, to make a post on our blog. If I were keeping a written journal, it would easily take that long.... if not longer. The majority of my post are done in the early morning hours when my family is sleeping, well...except for Charlee or on a 90 minute prep when I am subbing.
Also.... I do not watch T.V. We have one show that Benjy and I enjoy watching together..on Monday nights at 8:00 for one hour. Other than that....I do not sit in front of the Television, so replace my blogging time with one 1/2 hour show and there you go....that is how I find the time.
I feel a little defensive because I have had people tell or insinuate.... that somehow those of "us" that are bloggers are not as good of moms or friends because we blog? Well to this...I say... I know that someday my children, Benjy and I will look at these blog books and be very grateful that we have these memories for us and for our generations to come.
Even if I tried.... I couldn't even put into words how much I would treasure these thoughts, memories and testimonies if I had them from my grandparents that have already passed away.
We all have the same amount of time...how we choose to balance our time is up to us and not for someone else to decide. Now...if Benjy or my girls told me that they were feeling neglected, I would get up at midnight and sacrafice my own sleep, if that is what it took.
I have some very private and heart felt eternal reasons why I blog...that I may share.... just not at this time.
I want to end this post with this...for all of you... that have shared with me how much you have enjoyed our blog and how much you hope that I never stop... (Aunt Judy...) I have promised you that I will not.... I want to thank those of you and tell you how much I love you for supporting and trusting in my ability and desire to constantly balance and make the most of my time on this earth because someday...I will be gone... but my memories will be available for my loved ones!
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