Saturday, August 29, 2009

Peek a Boo!

Anybody miss me yet? I'm working on a post that will update the socks off of my readers. Look back for it tomorrow :)


Until then, good night!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Just another...

Manic Monday, Ohh ohh. You know the words, sing along!

Work has been insane. Do you know how much work goes into a new school year? Unfortunately I do. Preparing for registration, having registration, endless data entry, endless phone calls, staff development and giving the teachers class lists that are always subject to change. There's more, but after today that's all I can remember at the moment. Maybe my husband will give me a back rub. I can wish right?

The kids start school Monday so it's back to our school schedule. In bed at 8pm, no deviating. Even though my kids are almost 4 yrs apart, they have the same bed time. KB is really hard to get up in the morning, and Lil Miss is a breeze and eerily perky. You can imagine how our mornings play out. Me getting ready for work, waking up 2 kids and getting them ready for school, hunting down last minute papers, grabbing lunchboxes, and whatever else we might need that day and heading out the door by 7:15. I drive the kids to their school, and then head to my school. I'm tired before 8am. But that's just the first week of school. Once we get back into the groove of things, mornings are a breeze.

I still have to type up my reviews for Hasbro! I promise to get it done before the weekend. I'm so excited about "Crazy Old Fish War". It's really a lot of fun. Lil Miss is the best card game partner.

Sadly, I have nothing else to offer at the moment. I hope everyone has a great week! Good night, and good riddance Manic Monday!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Say what?

Remember when I had to work registration on the 4th and 5th? I was sure that my official start date was the 10th of August. When I went to school to work registration the secretary said " No you come back on the 14th. She assured me she was right and I just thought, "Cool, a few more days off!" All that went to crap when I was cleaning house Wednesday and the secretary called me to inform me I was to report on the 11th... Hello, it was the 12th! I had already missed a day and a half of work!!! I dropped my mop and headed to work, where luckily my principal just laughed at me and reminded me I need to read my contract better next time. I was closer to right about my return date than the secretary. Next school year I will listen to no one and tattoo my return date on the palm of my hand. I am not a repeat offender.


So yes, I have been at work since Wednesday and I'm already tired. The few days before school begins is always hectic for office staff. I feel like a chicken with my head cut off I had 50 things going on all at once. I barely found time to catch my breath! I'm so glad it's the weekend!


Yesterday while at work I a huge package arrived from my Emmy on Guam. I knew the kids were dying to see what was inside, and honestly so was I. I hurried home after work so we could tear into it. Can I just say OMG, I seriously have The Best BFF ever. Each of the girls received 2 backpacks and a lunchbox. Maia's backpacks are super cool Hello Kitty and Micaylah's are very rockstar with starts and pink and black plaid. Both girls were in heaven. They were also spoiled with stationary sets, wallets, diaries, pencils, picture frames, candy, and clothes! Auntie Emmy and Uncle David outdid themselves! My birthday presents are awesome too, a brand new pair of Scott flip flops, a Fokai t-shirt and Fokai decals for my car, 6 shiny new Guam quarters, Candy and my 2 favorite snacks Meiji chips and asparagus crackers. Seriously like 80 bags of meiji chips and 80 bags of asparagus biscuits. I'm in snack heaven right now!


Tomorrow my cousin Lorraine is getting married so we all have to get up early and get ready. I went tonight and got Maia and I new dresses. I must say I love my dress. I'll post pics after I get all dolled up. I better run, I have toenails to paint, and hair to curl. Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

What are you putting in your dogs' dish?

I've recently asked myself this same question. I think of my dogs as spoiled and loved and definitely not picky eaters. They will eat whatever is placed in front of them whether it be dog food or a piece of chicken left over from dinner. When it comes to commercial dog food, I thought beneful would be the best choice for our boys, and they love it. When they were puppies they would get a scoop of dry food in the morning, and then at dinner they would get the beneful meals mixed in with their dry food. Now that they are older they get fed once a day, but trust me they are not starving.

Looking at their beneful prepared meals I thought, why am I spending $1.57 to $2.00 per container when I could probably make this myself? Rice, veggies, and meat is all it takes, so why don't I make my dogs food?

So I started doing some research and didn't like what I found. I wont go into the gory details of commercial dog food, or what allegedly goes into it. I'm not about bashing a product that has yet to harm my dogs in the year they've been eating it. What I've decided as a pet owner is that, making homemade dog food is cheaper and healthier for my pets. Dogs need fiber, protein, grains, and veggies. All of which I have in my house, so this week I've been experimenting, and my dogs are not complaining.

Monday I cooked up several tilapia fillets in a little butter, and added a small cup of corn to the fish. Penn and Teller loved it! It's good for them and it was so easy since it's a one pan dish. The bag of fish was $3.00 at wal mart and the corn was 28 cents. I made my dogs roughly 5 days worth of food for under $3.50!

So here are some tips I picked up from my research.

Foods to avoid: Onions, Chocolate, Garlic, Rasins, Grapes, citrus, bones, macadamia nuts, and the leaves from tomato, potato and rhubarb, fruit pits, and persimmons. I'm sure I missed a few but you can find a more detailed list here.

Dogs may love liver, but too much isn't good for them. Too much can cause vitamin a toxicity and harm their muscles.

Foods you can use: Meat, poultry, grains, legumes, veggies and fruits.

Instead of high fat dog treats, try giving your dog a peanut or a small piece of meat. Your dog will be happy and won't end up your chunky buddy.

Check with your local grocery store Butcher. They can usually sell you meat trimmings for a very low price or even prime cuts of meat taken out of the cooler because they're close to expiring. They will still be ok for your pet.

Ziplock bags are your friend! Get the snack size and portion your homemade dog food that way. Put them in the freezer to store and put in the microwave to thaw.


I love my dogs! They really are a part of our family and I want them healthy so they'll be with us for a long time. I'll keep you posted when I try different dogfood recipies. If you would like to research homemade dog food or find recipies for your pets click here.

Monday, August 10, 2009

You spin me right round, baby right round!

Whew, what a weekend!

Friday morning I woke up bright an early, brewed a pot of coffee and as I sat down to enjoy my first cup my best friend Emmy called. She's on the other side of the world and it was almost midnight so I knew it wasn't to chat about anything good. Unfortunately her mother in law had passed away suddenly in her sleep that afternoon. My poor BF, my heart broke for her and her family. It broke for Adelaide who is too little to remember her Granny. But lucky for Ade, Emmy and David will be able to remind her with photos and stories of how much she loved her first grandbaby. I know this passing is hard for Em and her family, and how I wish I was on a plane to be by her side. It isn't possible, but Em knows my heart and prayers are with her always.

Later that morning we headed to the beauty salon for makeovers! I already posted pics Friday so you know how that went. We had a blast and Zorina has magic hands, seriously! If you're in the Midland/Odessa area and are looking for a hair dresser, she is awesome!

We came home to drop off Mom and meet my husband for a late lunch. Afterwords we headed out to go school shopping. I cringe at school shopping. The kids argue with me about clothes and supplies. Especially KB, so this year I decided to let her pick all o her clothes and shoes out herself. She had a blast going through Target picking out what she wanted. Each of the kids got 4 outfits at Target and all of their supplies and I only spent $120.00! Woo hoo! Then we headed to Ross where the girls picked out a lot of really cute tops and jeans. I grabbed a few things for myself as well. Lil Miss found a pair of shoes she just had to have and KB found the ugliest Fergalicious hightop shoes. They're in right now, and she wanted them so who am I to say no to my 9 yr old finding herself? 8 shirts, 1 Jacket, 2 pr of jeans, and 2 pr of shoes $108.00. I love Ross!

Saturday Mike took us to lunch at Fuddruckers and we walked around the mall for a bit afterwords. I took the girls to payless and they each found another pair of shoes, both on clearance! Then we went to Claire's to look for earings and other accessories. They were having a great sale so each girl picked a set of earings and sunglasses. A girl has to accessorize! Then we went back to Target to get the underwear we didn't buy the day before. 2 packs of chonies and a pack of socks for both KB and Lil Miss. THen I had the sad experience of buying my KB her first real bras. She's been in a sports bra for the last year, but she really needed a big girl bra :( She picked out 2 really cute ones and even got one that came with clear straps for her spaghetti strapped tops.

I love to shop, but I was so drained by Saturday night I didn't want to hear another cash register! Sunday morning my husband asked if we wanted to go to brunch and who am I to turn down food I didn't have to cook? We ended up at Golden Corral for some good food and the company of his friend Edward. We had a great time, followed by a trip to Hastings and then home. I cleaned house and played numerous games of "Crazy Old Fish War" and "Spongebob Sorry" with Lil Miss. It was a good Sunday.

Today I have a lunchdate with an old coworker. She's a great lady and I haven't seen her all summer so I'm looking forward to it. Have a great Monday everybody!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Makeovers all around!


KB Before




KB After



Before

After

We love our new haircuts! Especially KB! We told her that it was her hair and she could do whatever she wanted. She gave specific directions to Zorina and got exactly what she wanted. I on the other hand just told Zorina how much length I wanted gone, and pretty much gave her free reign on the layers. My head feels so much lighter and my hair is much healthier. My hair is naturally curly, but I prefer it straight and my 350 degree CHI damages my hair with long term use. But I love it because it gets me from curly to straight in about 10 minutes.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

How do you like me now?

I have to send out a huge thank you to my amazing friend Supermom. She was so thoughtful and sweet to take the time to redesign Much Ado. I love the new look and my header is awesome!

Thank you Supermom for everything. Your support and kindness mean so much!

Www.theadventuresofsupermom.com

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Sleep much?


For those of you that don't know I work for the school district as the building clerk for the performing arts magnet elementary school. It's a mouthful, but truly I love my job. It's the perfect job for a mom. I have all the same days off as my kids including summer vacation, I work for 10 months and get paid for 12. I'm home every night and weekend, and get to work with great people. Seriously, what could be better for a mom who needs a job during these tough times?

Yesterday and today we had district wide registration which meant I had to work from 7am to 6pm. Which in school hours means before 7 and after 6. Tuesday was busy! Hundreds of kids and their parents coming to register. It's amazing how kids grow in just 2 months! Today was slow, and not so hectic but i was able to get all of the new kids in the computer system and update tons of student records giving me a huge headstart. I love getting ahead.

I'm so thankful that today was more laid back. Little Miss was up at 4am crying that her tummy hurt. I got up with her several times until I finally just had to get up at 6am. Poor Kaylah Bug was woken up by her crying sister too. Then of course after Little Miss had the whole house awake, she fell back asleep. KB has been on antibiotics for the last 2 days for a virus and isn't feeling 100% yet. Needless to say, I'm exhausted and after spending 11 hours a day at a computer, my butt is tired too. I think I'm going to crash after my Wednesday date with Mike to watch Ghost Hunters International.

UPS brought us a great package from Hasbro Games today. I knew they were sending me their new card game Scrabble Slam, but they surprised me with Spongebob Sorry! and another new card game Crazy Old Fish War. Crazy old fish war looks like a blast and I plan to try these games out with the family this weekend. I will let you all know how we like them, I'm so excited to scrabble slam!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Say in isn't so!

Is today really and truly my LAST day of summer vacation? Sadly it is. I've really enjoyed being a stay at home mom again. In a lot of ways I'm ready to go back to work, but not ready to leave my girls when they still have 3 weeks of vacation left. I'm sure my husband is ready for me to go back to work. It was killing him that I was home and still getting paid while he had to work.


Friday and Saturday I had my garage sale. I did pretty good considering I didn't sell my couch like I was hoping to. I got rid of a lot of the kids clothes and shoes and some of the adult clothes. I really thought more of that stuff would go. I guess it's pack it up and take it to goodwill time. I really don't want to hold on to that stuff for another garage sale. The rain stayed away too which was nice.


Tomorrow is registration for school. Every year we have to register our kids. It gets tiring, but ensures that the most current information is on file. It's just a headache for me because I do ALL of the data entry for the school. I'm not so new at it with this being my second year with the district, so I'm hoping it goes much faster this time around. I also have to register my kids so that means digging out birth certificates and shot records, social security cards and a current utility bill. Taking those to the kids school and then filling out a huge packet of paperwork for each kid. Sheesh, I'm tired just typing that out.


I plan to keep up with Much ado, and not let it sleep between the cracks of work and homelife. My posts might be fewer, but definitely juicier since I'll have more things to write about.

Enjoy your Monday, I will be hoping that it goes by very slowly!