Yummy Sunday

Dinner was super yummy today! I don't have a fancy-schmancy name for it, so for lack of a better "title" we'll call it Pineapple Pork and Rice:

Here's what I did!

20 oz can pineapple (drained, but save the juice)
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1-1/2 lb boneless pork chops (cut into thin strips)

*I also sauteed some onion for flavor with the meat


- In skillet, sauteed onion and 1 clove chopped garlic with olive oil. Cook until thoroughly cooked- no longer pink. Add in 1/2 of pineapple juice plus all the pineapple and allow to grill!

-In saucepan, saute 2 cloves garlic in butter for about 1 minute, then add in honey, ketchup, and soy sauce, and rest of pineapple juice. Let simmer on low heat until pork and pineapple are hot and ready. Then pour sauce over the meat in skillet.

*I cooked a boil-in-a-bag rice pouch and served the above over rice.

IT WAS DELISH!

I love finding new recipes to try out that are SUPER easy AND still scrumptious!


How was your Sunday?

Snuggle Time

This morning was great!! Every day this last week, we had to be up and moving early to get Xander ready for VBS. This morning was the first day in a week that I didn't have an alarm set! So I got to sleep until Xander got in bed with us at 740!! Asher was still sleeping...twins were quiet in their beds (doubt they were sleeping, but they were quiet)... So Daddy and Mommy got two-on-one time with Xander!

Sometimes life gets so busy that snuggle time gets left out of our day. SO... when the day starts out with it, you KNOW it's gonna be a good day! Tim and I took turns cuddling and smooching our oldest kiddo! He LOVED every minute... I'm sure! I love these moments!

Naptime?

At what point did your kids stop taking naps?

In the Boni house, Xander still needs/wants naps on occasion ... Asher stopped somewhere around 3 years old- he'll only take one now if I bribe him! (yes, I AM "that" mom!)

Well, for the last week-ish, the twinkies haven't wanted to take a nap. They're SO much more interested in playing in their cribs. As Tim says though, as long as they're contained and "resting," they'll be fine... I just enjoy the quiet. BUT, that said, if they don't take a nap, then by 6pm, they are the crankiest kids alive! Today, for instance, they resisted napping... all the way until around 440pm. I always get them up by 5 so they will still go to bed at bedtime. SO, they got about a 20 minute nap... THAT'S WORSE than no nap at all! They cried and whined for about 30 minutes. UGH...

I don't know what to do.... they go to bed at around 730pm (sleep by around 8ish), and they are awake around 7ish am. Studies show that kids the twins' age need 12-15 hours of sleep per day... so with only about 11 at night, the NEED a nap... right? They're sleep-deprived...right??

Then I have to decide...do I need them to nap more than they actually need it? I KNOW that for selfish reasons, I want them to nap... but surely they need it, right??

FRUSTRATED MOMMY!! UGH!

Embracing Xander

Today's Embrace the Camera

Is of me with my oldest son, Xander, on the day he received his Soccer Trophy. It was last month.... but I haven't used it in an {Embrace} post yet!!

Isn't he a cute kid??

Boo-Boos, Yumminess, and Silliness

Xander has a boo-boo on his leg. This kid always has a bad reaction to mosquito bites... like big welts and lots of swelling! This bite on his leg appeared on Monday night... last night I put some neosporin and band-aids on it to keep him from itching...PLUS gave him some Benadryl. Today, this is how it looks...
poor kid! Hope it gets better soon!

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Lunch was super yummy! I cooked smoked beef sausage in a skillet with a little oil. Then I sauteed some onions and green bell peppers in with the sausage. In a separate pot, I boiled 1/2 lb bowtie pasta. I tossed it all together with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. SUPER yummy!!!-----------------------


At bedtime, Asher was yelling,

"I'M HOOOOOOOOOT!"

over and over and over again. I went into his room and said,

"I don't know what to do for you; you have two fans on you, plus your bedroom door is open so you can feel the air from the living room!"

He said:

"I know one more thing we can do... I can be still in bed, that'll help cool me down, right?"

LOL...smart, goofy kid!

"Yes, son, that will for sure help you cool down... be still and go to sleep!"

Buffalo?

Today was a rough day. It all started at 12:48 am. I woke after only over an hour of good, sound sleep. And never really got back to sleep! I dozed in & out only to wake up and check the clock to find only 20-30 minutes had passed.... even that dozing didn't start til after 3am :( ... SO, I awoke with a migraine....AGAIN... and puking... again! I was miserable pretty much all day long. Wish I knew what was causing it all! I am so very sick of feeling sick!

To brighten my day, my husband came home from work and brought me a stuffed buffalo.

"Who cares about a buffalo?" you might ask....

Well, many, many years ago (brace yourself, I'm about to tell you ALL something somewhat embarrassing for me....) WAY BACK when Dances with Wolves first came into theaters...we're talking what? Mid-Nineties? Anyways, I LOVED the movie so much that I watched it several times AND read the book. My brain was in BUFFALO heaven! Well, one day, my friend, Stephanie, and I were driving down a highway, and off in a pasture was a field of CATTLE. I immediately said,

"WOW, look at all the buffalo!"
What a dummy I was... it wasn't buffalo, it was a field of cows! Hahahaha!

So, that's been a silly, running, "make fun of Rachel" thing in my life. Yes, I am sharing it with all of you...and I half expect some of you to take full advantage of this knowledge. BUT...the point is, Tim loves me enough to buy me a stuffed buffalo... to make my crappy day end on a high note!

Love you, Tim!!

Family Time

It's always nice when I take off on the weekend... not nice on the income, but nice for spending time with family!!

Xander went to VBS this morning with his friend, Josh. So Tim and I got to spend some time with the Littles this morning. Then, this evening we went to Golden Corral with my mom, Tim's mom, and Tim's grandma. Loved having that time together!!

When we got home, it was WAY beyond the babies' bedtime, so I put them to bed. Asher and I crashed on the couch watching old episodes of The Pink Panther on Netflix. Tim took Xander up and down our hilly street on his new bike! It wasn't anything "spectacular" today, but it was family time... fun time! Love my family!!

Best Birthday Party EVER

Xander's birthday was 2 weeks ago, but we celebrated today so that his grandma and great-grandma could come to the party. (They were out of town on his official day!) So, today, we hosted what Xander says was the BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY EVER!


We had a few of his friends meet at the park, with a splash pad! We used Bounce Pro Rentals for a Toy Story bounce house!

The kids had a blast! Xander's friends who came were: Austin, Josh, Jackson, Jaron, (plus Jaron's little sister); then we also had Alison, me & Tim (of course) my mom, Tim's mom, and Tim's grandma ... plus the moms of the aforementioned kiddos!

I didn't even think- til this moment- to take a picture of the cupcakes...oh well! They were white cake, BLUE icing (can you tell?), with wax candy bottles on top! We also had crayola flavored waters for the drinks! The kids loved it!!

He really scored with some great gifts: a new bike & helmet, nerf guns, puzzles, Legos, candy, video games, light sabers, transformer, remote control Hummer, and the list goes on and on! He LOVED everything!

The party came to a quick end when we got report of a severe thunderstorm heading our way... it thundered, it lighteninged (I know, not a word), and the wind was crazy. But it BARELY sprinkled! I WANT RAIN! I am so annoyed with how the weather merely teased me today! It was so horrendously hot that all the adults stayed hidden under the gazebo while all the kiddos played! My head was POUNDING by the end of it!

Now, all the kids are in bed- COMPLETELY exhausted! I am too! So glad that I took tonight off of work... I don't think I would survive after this day! I'm so glad that he had the best birthday party ever... so.very.tired! Enjoy the pictures!!

Power Outages and Choo-Choos

The Bunch had yet another HOT day today! It was about 107... still no rain in sight... here's our week ahead forecast- notice- every day is 100+ and no rain! BOO:

UGH... so tired of this heat! Especially on days like today when we have a power outage... I HATE not having any a/c or fans to help cool our already hot house! I am ready for winter now!! Xander was bummed because the computer and TV weren't working.... Asher's response to Xander:
"Our toys still work to play with!"
Smart kid!!


Went shopping with my mom this morning, then played "Choo-Choo" with the kids when we got home! It was fun being the engine, but being the engine car, I couldn't take a picture, so had to break away from the train to get the camera!! Love these kids!! The pic on the right almost DOES look like I have one big kid, plus triplets! LOL...no wonder people ask me if they are trips! Cute kids though, huh??

Fun Friday

In spite of being terribly sleepy from working last night til 2am, we had a fun day!

Started beautifully when I woke up at 838am to a quiet house... My kids NEVER sleep beyond 730! It was great!!!!

Then my mom came to hang out with The Bunch! She took the day off work, so it was fun to see her!

My MIL and her mom came over too! The kids had a blast with BOTH grandmas PLUS their great-grandma all together! We spent the day (until naptime) with them. Then even mommy & daddy got to take a nap! Always nice, right?

After nap time, it was a mad rush to get ready. See, about a month ago, I had my friend, Alison, "pencil me in" to babysit for a date night tonight! YAY for us. BUT we didn't wake from nap til almost 430 and she was supposed to be at the house at 5. SO... got up & got a shower, got pjs out for the kids AND fed them dinner all by the time she arrived.

Yes, I know, I am awesome! LOL... just call me "Super MOM!" hehehe...I'm cracking me up...are you laughing??

Anyways, Tim and I left for our HOT night out (outside temperature...of course). We had dinner at Cheddars- one of our FAVE restaurants; then we went to see Captain America: GREAT movie! If you're into the Marvel world at all, you will love it! It perfectly ties all the others together... all leading into The Avengers (Coming 2012)...can't wait!

All in all, it WAS a very fun day! Enjoyed the moms & grandma's visit! Enjoyed naptime! GREATLY enjoyed date time!

It's these times of one-on-one that I think EVERY couple needs...it's a time of just being together-CHILDLESS- that helps us remember that our lives together began as just us... me and Tim... together. One day our kids will leave home and it'll be just us ... me and Tim... together. I want us to never lose who we are as a couple!!

LOVE that man!
Love our dates!!
Love US... together!
(not the GREATEST pic of us, but it'll do! LOL)

Embrace The Camera: July 21st

It's been awhile since I linked up with the
ETC movement!
(click for more info)


So I thought I'd get back into my Thursday groove and post a couple pics of Tim and me with the littles!




Me with Bella and Jonathan









Tim with all 4 kiddos

Who are you {embracing} today?

Wednesday Wednesday!!

Is it possible to understand patterns at 2 years old?

Bath time is always fun!!!

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I was greatly blessed yesterday! I had mentioned to a good friend how expensive school supplies are... about how after missing 2 weeks of work (unpaid) that money was going to be tight this month. I mentioned this all like 2 weeks ago in a simple, casual conversation. Last night she gave me a gift card for Wal-Mart and said to use it for school supplies! I argued... of course, but she said she'd be mad if I didn't accept... so I did. NOW, I am praying for GOD to greatly bless her and her family.... She's an amazing friend... so grateful for God putting her in my life!
She blessed me, now God, bless her!!

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Then today, another friend blessed us! She brought over a bag of Toy Story party supplies. She had leftovers from her son's party and said I could have all the decorations and stuff she had! WAHOO.... now all I'll have to buy for decorations is the cups/plates!

God has done a great job giving me some great friends!!

Two Things Tuesday

1. Tim's grandma is in town for a visit. It's always nice to see her...too bad it's only once a year that she gets to visit!! All 3 boys were excited to see her- even though Jonathan didn't know her. Bella was another story. She snuggled with my MIL for a loooonnnng time before giving grandma a chance! Once she did, she didn't want to let go! I'm so glad she warmed up to her!!

2. TMOM Board Meeting tonight was VERY successful! It was one of our biggest meetings of the year because it's the night we discuss, propose, and vote on our annual budget! I really DO love the people I work with on my board! I am so honored to be their President!


Tell me 2 things about your Tuesday!!

Appointments and cleaning

After I got off work at 7 this morning, I came home, got kids up and dressed and fed, then went to Tulsa for my post-op appointment. The doctor released me...he says that I'm normal (haha, yeah right!) ... he said that sometimes, 3 weeks after surgery, people come in still in a lot of pain. So he said I'm doing really well. He could still see a couple "raw patches" back there, so he can tell it's still sensitive, but that it looks great! YAY!! Good to know that I'm "perfectly normal!"

After my appointment I came home and slept for a couple hours before Tim left to go spend some time with his grandmother (she came to town yesterday!). So... while he was gone for the afternoon, I cleaned house. UGH... as I've mentioned a couple or few times, it's hot in my house... so, I'd clean for about 20 minutes and be so drenched in sweat that I'd have to STOP and rest and try to cool off in front of a fan! It's been a icky, sweaty day! But, it always feels good to see the end result after cleaning! I still have SO much to get done to actually make my house look "good" but it's a start, right?

Hope your Monday was good... several friends of mine had bad days today.

But GOOD NEWS... Baby Dakota (my friend's 6 month old who's never been released from the hospital since he was born) was taken of the ventilator today!! PRAISE GOD!!! He's such an amazing little guy! He'll have a great story to tell when his hospital journey is finally over....hoping that day comes soon!

Too hot to handle

today was another over 100 degree day... our governor asked us to pray for rain today... I DID!

couldn't bring myself to cook today...too hot... so kids ate pb&j ... tim and i had mcd's!

ugh...hate heat

Whining and napping

whine, whine, whine...

argue, fight, hit, take toy

whine, whine, whine...

NAPTIME... FOR ALL 4 KIDS! Yes I know that X is 6 years old, but after the above, ALL DAY LONG from all four kids (including X),

THEY'RE ALL TAKING A NAP! UGH...

I keep hearing the song in my head, "Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this, my mama said!" Yes, there are days like this... unfortunately!! But we'll get through it!

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Cute picture of my Princess with her little piggies:

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I used to laugh at my in-laws after their trips to the Philippines. They'd describe the heat by saying "it was a 3-shower day" or "it was only a 2 shower day today!" Sounds funny, right? Well, if you live in or near Oklahoma... you can probably relate to that! I feel like every day has been a 2 or 3 shower day! I'll be sooooo glad when fall/winter is here!

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Side note...sometimes I hate that I have a weekend job. My friends do FUN things on the weekends ... I get left out a lot! :( Yes, I am having a pity party! But really, I don't get asked to do things at all on the weekends... I assume it's cause my friends know that I would probably say no because of working/sleeping, but it sometimes makes me sad to not get asked. ALTHOUGH, that said, I would probably feel bad for ALWAYS having to say no... so I guess it's a catch 22! Oh well... thanks for letting me whine- I figure the kids have been doing it all day, my blog is MY chance to whine a little bit!!

Thanks for listening!

Migraines and Power Outages

Today was rough. Woke at 430 a.m. Sick to my tummy.... Full-blown migraine still in place! Couldn't get back to sleep :( Got up with the kids & did our morning routine; then I went t the urgent care around the corner to get checked out. As you can imagine...or know first-hand, you can't be a successful Domestic Goddess when you feel like doo-doo! I had taken my maximum allowable dose of my migraine Rx and it wasn't working.. So the dr gave me a shot for pain and another for the nausea... Puking is awful when you have a migraine too! I took a short nap before Tim went to work, then another while kids napped... Then it FINALLY went away!! Wahoo!?
praise God!

Thankfully I was feeling better because at 640pm, our power went out! It was miserably hot... And I KNOW I wouldn't have made it suffering through the still heat with a migraine too! Our thermostat quickly rose- it read 90 degrees by the time it clicked back on 50 minutes later! The kids were so wet with sweat that it looked like they'd just had a shower! I felt awful for them:( I was very grateful when we had power again... How ON EARTH did our ancestors survive without a/c??? LOL!!

Ended the night having a pop + chips/queso with my good friend, Alison! We sat on the patio at the restaurant... It's amazing how much cooler it is when there is no sun!!

I hope your Friday was a good one!! <3

6 months

I have blogged every day...sometimes more than once a day... for 6 months! This just hit me. That's a LOT of posts... sometimes I wonder why I keep doing this... I know people read it, I know that one day I'll look back and be glad I recorded memories, but sometimes, I don't wanna! But then I stop and think... if I don't, after doing it THIS long, am I a quitter? Anyways, I am proud of this "accomplishment"... I can't believe I've stuck with it THIS long! But, here we are... you and me! Thanks for being a faithful reader!

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FUNNY story:
Xander got this new Yoda toy from McDonalds.
He says to Tim, "Look daddy, this looks like your head!"
Tim says, "No it does NOT! I have more hair than that!"

*Xander looks at the toy, then back at Tim...

X : "You're kidding me, right!!!???"
T: "Plus, I don't have pointy ears, and I'M NOT GREEN!"

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!

Yes, that was me rolling on the floor laughing at my poor husband's expense!

I love Tim... Xander cracks me up!

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We spent the day hanging out with my mother-in-law! It's good to have her back in town again! Plus it's fun to hear her stories of her missions trip! My FIL will be back sometime next month! The kids (especially Bella) wouldn't leave her side...they were all so happy to have her home!

How was your day??

Wonderful Wednesday

My day started off WAY too early! For some reason...when mommy NEEEEEEDS to sleep later in the morning, the kids decide they need to get up earlier than normal! So, up and at 'em super early! I worked last night until 2a.m., so I only got about 4 1/2 hours sleep before I had to get up and deal with life!

My mother in law is back from the Philippines today, so this morning, I took their van to the car wash and vacuumed it out...so it would be nice and pretty for her. But in so doing, I decided that MY car needed to be cleaned out too! So I did that... it was so hot that I was drenched in sweat. When I got home, Tim told me to I could take a nap for a little while! BLESS HIM!

Got up at 11 and got a shower, then got the kids ready to go. I had plans to go hang out at Tami's house this afternoon! We ate Taco Bueno for lunch...if you remember my last experience with Bueno was NO bueno.... it was too soon after surgery and hurt like the dickens! Today, it was muy bueno!! Very delicious! We stayed at Tami's til almost 4 then went home.

When I got home, I cooked dinner. I really like Wednesdays because that's the day, normally, that my mom comes over for dinner! It's always nice to spend the evening with her ... sometimes by brother comes too- good times!

After I put kids to bed, I fell asleep on the couch.... EXHAUSTED! It was a Wonderful Wednesday, but it was tiring! Hope your day was wonderful too!

Two Things Tuesday

1: Xander spent most of the day with his friend Austin and his grandma, "Miss Towana." They went out to Top That! Pizza (DELISH) then to see the movie ZooKeeper. He ALWAYS has fun with them, and today was no exception! I think, more than anything, it was nice for him to get out of the house and away from his siblings for a little while...change of scenery is a good thing!
2. Bella climbed out of her crib during nap time today. I knew she wasn't sleeping... in fact, I was getting mildly annoyed by the fact that I kept hearing her and Jonathan talking instead of napping. At one point, I heard her crying... but only for a couple minutes, so I never went in there. They finally got quiet, so I peeked in the room to see if they'd finally gone to sleep. Bella's crib was empty... GRRR! I look at Jonathan's crib, he's sitting there "reading" a book, looks at me and said, "Bella fall her crib!" Around the corner is Bella sitting on the floor with her lovey blanket and she tells me the same thing! UGH... maybe toddler bed time is coming soon! I'm not sure if MOMMY is ready yet!

What two things can you tell me about your day??

Marvelous Monday

For breakfast, I bought Lucky Charms. I don't often buy the "good" cereal because I normally get the truly GOOD cereal... ya know, like Cheerios, Chex, Kix... that kind! Well, today's special breakfast was Lucky Charms and you would've thought the kids were starving to death the way they ate it! It made me laugh out loud...literally... when Asher said, "I love this cereal, mommy, cause the bites are soooo squishy!" I'm pretty sure he liked the marshmallows best, but it was cute! Xander kept taking such big bites, I don't know how it fit in his mouth... even the littles liked it! I think I won the "good mommy" award this morning!

For lunch, we had yesterday's leftover pasta...it was a hit too! Xander was eating with his fingers because "the fork doesn't pick up enough!" Hahahaha!

A friend of Tim's at work has a garden. In it, she's growing all kinds of tomatoes. She brought us a bag full of HUGE tomatoes this weekend. So, of course, any good Italian man would want homemade sauce & meatballs with these fresh tomatoes, right? Normally, when I make sauce, I DO put the tomatoes in the blender to get the sauce ready to cook, but it's the canned whole tomatoes...not real...fresh-from-the-garden kind! So, to have the REAL tomatoes for sauce was a GREAT experience! I started cooking it and preparing meatballs to cook at around 130 this afternoon.... and I let it cook until after 6pm. Xander is my designated "meatball tester"... so when I told him he could try one, he said, "Ok, I'll start with 3 for now, then if I like them, I'll get some more!" LOL... my response was, "um no, we're just testing, which means ONE for now!" I know, I know, I am mean.... he was so bummed. He and Asher both had one and they devoured it in seconds... they LOVED my meatballs and sauce.... SCORE!!

After dinner, I gave the kids baths. Before the twins' bath, I put them both on the potty... sometimes this works, most of the time, it doesn't! Tonight, Bella goes pee... WAHOO! Jonathan was sitting there saying he was going potty (he NEVER has gone in the potty though)... so I'm not sure he knows what to do yet. Asher says, "Go Pee, Jonathan...with your penis!" So Jonathan looks down and says, "Go pee, pee-sis!"

Hahaha.... these kids crack me up!!!

After the kids were all in bed and quiet, Tim gave me a back and foot massage... AND I didn't even have to ask for it! He's such a Marvelous Man on this Marvelous Monday! (other days too, but it sounds good with all the M's...lol)

I hope your day was as marvelous as mine! Be blessed!

Pasta and Sweat

OMG...in case you haven't heard (or felt firsthand) it's HOT HOT HOT in Oklahoma right now. Here's the forecast for this week:


Insane, right? Because imagine the heat index... the "feels like" temperature... after you factor in the humidity! It's running around 120 degrees outside. THIS IS INSANE! Please God, give us a break!!

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Had pasta for dinner... always a favorite in a house full of Italians!! Cooking it was rough.... I was dripping sweat! UGH... HATE sweating when I am INSIDE my home! At the dinner table, everyone (except me) was shirtless...just to get a little break from how hot it is! I put all the kids to bed shirtless as well! I sure wish I didn't have to go to work in this...I'd MUCH rather stay home where it is 80 degrees inside...instead of the 100 outside!

UGH... I want winter back!

IHOP and Sleep

Today was a great day. I started the morning out by going to breakfast at IHOP with my good friend, Alison! We don't see each other nearly as often as I would like, so breakfast was nice!

Then after breakfast, I came home to see Tim and hang with the kiddos! Tim went to work at noon, then after lunch, kids took nap at 2! SO... mommy got to lay down and rest for a couple of hours.... WAHOOOOOO!

For lunch I made a yummy recipe of my mother in law's. It's Elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, 1 can of white kidney beans, and garlic and parmesan cheese (as desired). It's delish... it's easy... the kids LOVED it! So much so that they asked for seconds... AND they asked for it again for dinner! It made dinner planning so much easier! I LOVE when they love my food! I HATE when they whine and complain and say "I don't like it!" It was a GOOD day! LOL

After dinner, my mom came over and let me go back to bed (since I have to go back to work tonight). I slept til 9... and now I get to go to work! Not that I am excited about the working part of my day, but otherwise, it was a great day!!

A better day

Today was much better than yesterday! The kids were MUCH more cooperative... which made for a MUCH happier mommy!


Asher enjoying his chocolate pudding:

Tim got off work an hour early tonight, so I took advantage and went to see a couple friends. Saw my friend Regina for a little while, then I went to Starbucks with my friend Rachel. It was only a couple hours out of the house... but it was much needed! I love getting one-on-one time with good friends!

Hope your Friday was Fantastic!

SAHM??

The last couple of days I have questioned "why am i a stay at home mom?"

I know it's probably because I don't feel 100% up to par yet... and I am exhausted and my throat still hurts... so I know that's probably why I am a little more emotional and short-tempered.

BUT

They have worn out my patience! I talk, they don't listen, then I yell (I know, bad mommy) and my throat hurts, so I cry. Then when I cry, I lose my "effectiveness" and they go about NOT listening all over again. I feel completely exhausted today... worn out...

NOT wanting to be a SAHM anymore.

AND THEN....

Before bedtime tonight, Bella and Jonathan gave me hugs & said they loved me (without me saying it first)... and Xander said, "I love you, cause you're the best mom ever!"

These little moments make it all worth it! I love these kids, and in spite of the aggravating and frustrating days like yesterday & today, I am glad it's ME that gets to enjoy them all day long and not some random day care person! I am glad that I am home with them.

I am happy to be a SAHM!

I have a 6 year old??

Today is July 6, 2011... 6 years ago today, I became a mom! Alexander Michael "Xander" is the coolest 1st grader on the planet... don't believe me? Just ask him, he'll tell you he's pretty cool too! LOL!!
We just did a little family "party" tonight with us and my mom & brother....his "big" party will be in a couple weeks when his grandma comes home from the Philippines....we wanted her to be able to come to his friend party! Anyways, this morning, I took him to WalMart and told him his "real" present will come at his big party, but that he could pick out presents today... either one big thing or a few little things. Quantity is everything for a 6 year old! So, he picked 6 small items (1 of which he picked out so Asher could have a little toy too...so generous!). Then we bought cake mix- I let him pick what kind of cake, icing, and sprinkles. He picked yellow cake, chocolate icing (good, so far), and peppermint sprinkles! LOL...not my favorite choice, but he's the birthday boy!! I let him and Asher decorate the cupcakes all by themselves!! They had a ball!

Here's the birthday boy...followed by my letter to Xander!


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WOW, how time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I was in the hospital delivering you... and now you are 6 years old! The last six years have been amazing. I never knew love until I held you in my arms. A friend told me once (before I had kids) that I would never truly understand the unconditional AGAPE love of God until I had children of my own. That I could KNOW God loved me, but not really begin to understand the depth of HIS love until I had a child. She was sooooo very right. The first time I held you in my arms, I knew love. I knew that I hadn't truly lived life until that moment...that I wouldn't be able to live life without you in my arms.

You are my first-born son. Because of that, we have a bond that the others will never have. You made me a mommy. You made me a better person. Over the last six years I have seen you go from a helpless infant to a very independent little man! You take charge with your brothers and sister; you ask for chores around the house; you are such a great helper! Sometimes I forget that you are only 6...sometimes I want you to be more grown up... sometimes I'm hard on you because you're acting like a child! I apologize for that! I LOVE that you are so sweet and caring. I LOVE that you still give your friends a hug "goodbye" when you leave them...that you're not "too cool" to hug your mommy in front of your friends! I love how you will stop what you are doing to pray if someone is hurt.... that if you're having a bad day, you'll pray for God to give you fun things to do! You have the biggest heart of any kid I know- don't let anyone or anything change that about you!

I love you, Xander, I hope your 6th birthday was the best one you've had so far! You deserve the best... you ARE the best!

Two Things Tuesday

1- Today was my TMOM day! I LOVE my TMOM day! It's one of the days of the month that I get together with a great group of great women! Our group was smaller than normal tonight... but it was still nice to see everyone! LOVE those ladies!

2-Today was leftover day! I LOVE leftover day! I've made meals the last 2 or 3 days ... good meals! BUT since I make the amount I am used to making for our family BUT I can't eat much, we've had plenty of leftovers. So today was a great day to NOT have to cook! It was a fun day to clean out the fridge! Gotta love leftover day!

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Day 12- Tried to eat a burrito at Taco Bueno...if you know anything about Bueno, their catch-phrase on their commercials is "It's MORE Bueno"... WELL, unfortunately, it wasn't MORE Bueno... it was NO bueno! Every bite burned. So... I guess I'm not ready for the seasoned foods yet. UGH... I never thought I could eat at Bueno and NOT enjoy it... I AM CRUSHED! As far as pain level- it's not horrendous today. I can talk; it's just a little painful. It basically feels like a super dry, sore throat. Like I can't drink enough to make it feel better....if that makes sense! It's definitely getting there! Slowly, but surely!

Happy Fourth of July

Today: day 11. Blah blah blah... pain...blah blah blah, meds! The end!

Now on to the fun part of the day!

We had lunch at my mom's house today. I made burgers and corn on the cob; mom did potato salad and baked beans. Her baked beans are the best I've had anywhere at anytime. I don't know exactly what all she puts in them, but I know there's brown sugar and sausage of some kind... I need to get her recipe one day!
(hint hint, mom, I know you're reading, can you write it down please?)

Anyways, it's always nice to go to another person's house for dinner... the kids are so much less LOUD when we're not at home!

I dressed them all in patriotic clothes... big boys had American t-shirts with khaki shorts, and the twins had really cute Mickey/Minnie outfits on. I bought them a month or two ago because I REALLY wanted to get professional July 4th pics done, but with the surgery and life, we never got around to it!

So, I made sure they wore the outfits today... and took a few cute pics of them... they were cracking up laughing as they laid on the couch kicking each other!
Kinda sad... I don't have any pics of the big boys... Stink! Maybe tomorrow will have to have a blog full of Big Boy Pics!

What day is this?

Hehe... Just kiddin... It's day 10! Supposedly from what I've read, many tonsillectomy patients feel amazingly different starting on day 10. Supposedly, day 10 is the "turning point" that makes it seem so much more manageable!

Well.... today, day 10... it feels about like day 9! Granted... since we adjusted the BP meds, I am feeling better in that regard! HOWEVER, throat still hurts. Let me share something with you... this is kinda weird. My throat obviously hurts, BUT what hurts more is my tongue and my teeth/jaws! The burning and constant pain is NOT in my throat, it's the surrounding area that hurts the worst! Is that weird? I don't know enough people who have had this procedure to know if it's normal... and I don't get to see my doctor again (he's on vaca) until the 18th, so I can't ask. So... I just wonder if this is weird or normal.

ANYWAYS.....

Today was my first real outing! I went to WalMart for some groceries. I know that's not really considered a "fun" outing, but it was nice to get out of the house for a little while! My mom went shopping with me- nice hanging out with her again sans children!

For dinner, we had super yummy fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn! Did I mention it was yummy!!!??? Looking forward tomorrow's dinner... love holidays with family!

Day 9...UGH

Are you as tired of reading about my recovery as I am being in the middle of it?

Oh.my.gosh.

Ready to feel like myself again!

Yesterday I posted about my BP being high. Well, this morning it still was, so I called my primary doctor. They on-call person said to go right away to urgent care or to the ER. See, I take blood pressure meds 2 times a day....so realistically speaking, my BP shouldn't have been 156/100, right? SO... my mom sat with the kids while I went around the corner to the urgent care! Told the doctor my other symptoms (won't bore/disgust you with those too)... and he just said that due to stress of the surgery and the fact that I'm still in a lot of pain, it's normal for my BP to be high. So he upped my BP meds and said to follow up with my PCP next week.

I came home and my mom sent be straight to bed! Geez, she's soooo bossy! But I like it! LOL... she dealt with the kids for the rest of the day! I stayed in bed resting! At one point, I took a drink of water and it felt like I had just downed a razor-blade. I am SO TIRED of this pain! I just wanna be "normal" again!

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For dinner tonight, I made a nice spread! Yes, after being in bed all day, I got up and prepared dinner for The Bunch! I made meatloaf, baked potatoes, cheesy broccoli/cauliflower, and mac & cheese (for kids)! It was quite humorous as I fixed my plate... A big chunk of meatloaf, a baked potato (fully loaded) and a pile of cheesy veggies! Tim looked at my plate and said, "Are you miraculously recovered babe?"

Hahaha.... oops, I guess I am not REALLY going to eat all of that food! I ate 2-3 bites of each item...that was about all I could get down. BUT it was REALLY good! AND there's plenty of leftovers!

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Cute moment for twins today:I came inside from taking out the dog and found Jonathan and Bella snuggling on the floor! I love how much they LOVE each other!

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Thank you, thank you, thank you to my WONDERFUL mom for all of her help today when I felt less than acceptable! I appreciate you, mommy!

Mommy Night (and day 8)

Tim and I have had this great system worked out this week! It's worked quite well. In the morning, we've been getting up, getting kids dressed & fed, then around 930 or 10, I go back to bed for a couple hours of rest. I get up around 1230, we get the kids lunch, then babies go down for nap an hour later. Just in time for me to rest again! The last 3 days, he has done something "fun" with big boys during baby nap time...just to give me a quiet house for a couple hours! It's worked so nicely. While I am able to have time with the family, I am still getting plenty of rest time to try to get over this surgery!

Tonight though, instead of doing the normal bedtime routine with the kids, Tim let me run away. Not too far, I went around the corner to my mom's house. I got to camp out on HER couch for the evening. So, not only was it quiet, I got to hang out with my mommy! We don't get much ALONE time. Normally when we're together, our conversation is incessantly interrupted by 1 or more children wanting 1 or more VERY IMPORTANT things! So, hanging out ...even though I'm not much fun right now... was fun! We ate supper and watched a cutsie little movie and we TALKED without interruption! It was nice!

Today's pain was more manageable than yesterday's. However today, I have felt dizzy & light-headed. I checked my blood pressure and WOW that might explain some things! Ya know, I'm taking all these meds to keep my pain under control. BUT in the meantime, my blood pressure sky-rockets(in spite of blood pressure regulating meds). I've never seen it this high...which might explain my "run over" feeling! .......just another reason I'll be glad when this mess is all over!