Backyard camping 2.27.09

Backyard camping 2.27.09
Originally uploaded by mommanana

We are going to go camping soon so I figured it would be a good idea to practice putting up the 3 room tent we have but have never used. The kids & I are going to camp out in the backyard tonight. I am sure my back will tell me all about it tomorrow! I will fill you in after our night of adventure, sweet dreams!

P.S. Morning after.. the kids had a blast. I am sore all over! I heard every dog bark, every rustle of leaves, I am worn out!!

Alien Invasion!

It is so funny to be considered the greatest Mom in the world because I made quesadillas for dinner and let them have ranch dressing to dip them in. Then, of course, I am not the greatest because I won't let them stay up late on a school night. In the course of a single day they can go from being the sweetest, politest, most loving children to being aliens from Mars, monsters unrecognizable to the human eye!
And while I am on a roll, what is with their built in censors? They can be sound asleep, in their rooms, doors partially closed. We can be in our room with the door closed (and locked) for some "quality" time. Just when we are at the most "distracted" there will be a voice at the door just before they try to turn the knob. Talk about a mood buster! And they never want Brian, it has to be me. It happens too often to be coincidence! And it happened with the older three when they were little too. See.. aliens. Has your house been invaded too? Or are ours just overly intuitive?? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm...

The Mom Song

I have gotten this a few times and I am amazed at how many of these phrases I have used (and more!) when rambling to the kids. Take a minute and enjoy a good laugh.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESe-AysF9mw&feature=related

Pill Poppers Beware!

I take several medications daily, okay, I am supposed to take several medications daily! I just got one of my scripts filled yesterday. I went to take it this morning and realized it is the same size and shape, but a different color. I checked the bottle to see if it was the right med, brand, dose, etc. and it was. I still wasn't comfortable taking it so I called my pharmacist and explained it was always green, these are blue. He got the info from me and said he would call me back. He did and it is the wrong dose. Double what I should take. They are dispensing the correct med and I will take these back. Normally I take them on the run first thing in the morning as I am getting the kids out the door to school. I forgot this morning, so I was late taking them. My regular pharmacist wasn't there yesterday, but I didn't think to check the meds. It is scary that everything was labeled correct but the pill was wrong. Just goes to show how quick we are to trust strangers to do things that are so important. How we get too comfortable sometimes and just go with the flow. I double check my food order at McDonalds, but didn't think I needed to check meds that I put into my body everyday. I am sure I will from now on, at least for awhile, until I get comfortable again. Be careful out there!

Butt, Booty, & Boogie

I have been so immersed in the world of babies and children I sometimes forget that not everyone is. Our friend Terry went with me to take Brianne to her Dr. Appt. Monday morning. I went to find a rest room then met them in the pharmacy afterward. They were having fits of laughter & giggles. They just happened to be sitting accross from the baby aisle. There on display were tubes of Butt Paste & Booty Goo. Don't the names just make you smile, or maybe even chuckle, a little? I didn't get carried away like they did. Maybe because I know that the stuff is like paste & goo! And as honestly as they're named, they honestly work.
Then yesterday I went to pick up some cold medicine for Alexa and guess what I found? Boogie Wipes! Yep, special wipes for a boogie nose. In grape or strawberry scents. Okay, yes I did, I got the grape ones. they are bigger than I thought they would be and smell much better than baby wipes and are antibacterial too. So now I have pesonal knowledge of butts, bootys, & boogies!

What's in a name?

The other night my son-in-law was over spending some time with Brianne. I can't even recall what started it, he was probably aggravating Bri or one of the kids.. anywho.. I had already told him to stop at least once, so, as with all my kids, I said Justin Daniel! Stop. He then replied okay Mari-jane _______. (using my middle name) Brian immediately told him "dead man walking!" and Bri & our friend Terry sounded their ooooooohs, and warned him of my wrath.
You see, everyone who really knows me, knows I do not use my middle name, nor does anyone else. My middle name is after my grandmother who I love dearly. She passed away when I was expecting Brianne. She was my lifeboat when I was a child. I don't know that it is so much that I don't like the name really, maybe it is more that I can't possibly live up to it. It has been a long running family secret that really isn't a secret. Everyone usually gives out hints until it is guessed. I threatened Justin to list all the things he has done in 6 years to annoy me besides using my middle name outloud.. the list is long, but I will let him off the hook this time, only this time, because it allowed me to pause and think of her, my Nana, for a few more seconds than I have had time for in a while. She had heart, she had spunk, she had so much love. I got that from her, along with her name.....Mildred.

He's getting too big.. for his britches..

Hunter Nov. 2008 School Pic
Originally uploaded by mommanana

Hunter has informed me that although he may like to watch the movies and cartoons, he is too old to wear Disney Character clothes. I thought at least the Power Rangers would be okay, but no, not even them. He is too big for that kind of stuff and wanted me to put them away for Tristan to wear to kindergarten. I guess it's a good thing Hunter is small for his age, so Tristan may actually be able to wear them in the fall. I guess 2nd grade is a bit big for Character clothes. I thought they looked pretty cool, but not to 8 year old boys who want to be bigger. I wish he wouldn't grow up so fast. I wish he still liked to run around wearing Winnie-The-Pooh. I wish he was that chubby baby all cute, cuddly, & full of giggles. He is still full of giggles, they are just harder won. I may think he is cute & cuddly, but he doesn't want to be considered a baby in any way, shape, or form. I wasn't prepared for this. I had forgotten how important it is for boys to be big, to be more than just a little kid, to look the part of being a little man. No more shopping at the Disney Store for him! I guess it will be Tony Hawk & NFL gear from now on!

Putting my house in order..

Well, we solved the stir crazy day and the days following, so all is well. Between Bri's recovery and Terry visiting I have seriously neglected my house. I had spoiled Brian & myself the few weeks preceding because I had been keeping things cleaned up and even got the beds made every day. I kept up on laundry, cooked, and kept the kitchen clean. Then so much was going on I barely did the basics. Boy does it show! Bri is doing better, Terry had to head home, and I need to get back on track. I started weeding through our office paperwork and "stuff" a couple weeks ago and that is still a work in progress. I have a kitchen project I planned about a year ago now..would like to get that done too. So I am going to try to get caught back up on putting my house in order. A constant work in progress, but progress worth the work!

Stir Crazy, or just plain nuts?

There is a vast difference between my grown child needing calm & quiet, and the 3 smaller children needing activity and action. Here I am inthe middle of them all trying to keep everyone happy! Brianne is doing much better, although headaches are still an issue. She is getting up and around on her own and needs little assistance. Things just take her alot longer. I am going to get her settled then take the kids to the mall playground for a bit. There are no kid's movies out at all that are appropriate for them, so I have to explore other options. It is too cold, so they don't want to go to the zoo either. Any activity in the house becomes too loud no matter what it is because they just want to go and do. If I had the funds they would be going to daycare for awhile! So off I go to let them release some of this pent-up energy. They have really done well the past few days, so I guess they are allowed a crazy day! I am at the mercy of them all today, so I guess I'll be going crazy too.. nothing new!

A blurred moment..

The little ones have been so worried about their Brianne. She was discharged from the hospital last night and came to our house so she can have someone with her the first few days until she is steady on her feet. The concussion seems to be the hardest part to deal with right now.
Terri & Dwight picked the kids up from school and kept them until I had her home and settled. I went and picked them up and let Justin spend some alone time with Bri.
On our way home I reminded the kids that they would have to be quiet and be careful with Brianne for a few days. Alexa said "yea, because she has a broken head." Then they started asking questions about her injury and how they fixed it. They can't quite understand about the staples they used for her cut. And they think she should have a purple cast on her head til it gets better.
They did quite well trying to be quiet. I think seeing her and seeing that she is okay has helped them alot. It is scary to be little and have someone grown up get seriously hurt. And to trust when everyone tells you they will be okay. It is more comforting to see for yourself.
Mornings are the toughest for Bri right now. The dizziness and nausea are at their worst then. We finally got her feeling well enough to get in the tub and get a hot bath, and to finally get all the dried blood out of her hair late this morning. She ate some soup and is resting. Pain meds are a wonderful thing.
It was the strangest sensation in the early hours this morning to hear her whisper "Mommy?" I was on the couch and have an intercom set up. I went right in. She had slept through the next dose of pain med and the headache was in full force. Tonight I will set an alarm to make sure she gets it every 4 hours. I got her meds and rubbed her back. In the first instant when she called me it was like when she was a young child and would call out for me in the night. When you are half asleep listening for them it can be a blurred moment in time when you hear that voice and have to think of where, and when, you are.
I am glad I can be here for her and with her while she gets better. I am proud of the kids for being able to understand that she needs me and I may be stretched a little thin. They can be little grownups when they have to be.
I will update everyone as we go. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Brianne update

Brianne is spending another night at the hospital. They are downgrading her from ICU to a regular rm. and she should come home tomorrow. Her catscan came back normal today and she got the all clear from the neurosurgeon. She was thrilled to get the neck brace off. She has already gotten some negative comments about horse back riding and if it was worth it. I told her to blow them off. She knows herself and she knows the horse. It was an accident. Wether she rides again or not it is HER choice. I will not be upset if she chooses not to ride anymore. I don't know how to convince others that it was a fluke. She will obviously be more careful and wear a helmet. She shouldn't have to justify herself to anyone. We went over what happened. She knows the mistakes that were made, by her and the horse. I let her know the most important thing to worry about is recovering, not anything else. I don't think she needs to be preached to about the perils of horses. I think that lesson was self-taught yesterday! We should all be thankful she is okay and on the mend. I know I am.

Run, Lenny, Run.... NOT!

Have you ever seen a horse running without it's rider? It is a scene which invoked a gut wrenching fear in me today. Brianne was thrown from her horse. She was cantering and he decided to gallop instead. Then he must have realized he was heading toward the barn, so he took the turn like he used to when he was a barrel racer. A crazy horse version of sliding into home plate. Then he righted himself still going much too fast and Brianne went airborne and came down hard. She didn't lose consciousness and got herself up. She tore up the skin on her left hand and was bleeding from her ponytail. We called rescue to be sure her neck and back were okay and didn't want to play around with a head injury. They took her to the Trauma ER in Jax. She got a few staples for the cut and x-rays showed a crack in her skull. There isn't any brain bruising or damage that they can see. They will keep her at least 24 hours in ICU and we will go from there. She has a very bad headache and is super nauseous. It was such a fluke. She was on Lenny, who has always liked to run, but never to that extent. She has always ridden him and never had a problem. Of course one of the golden rules is to never run heading toward the barn. I don't think he even realized he was going that fast, hence the homeplate slide. I didn't stop long enough to make sure he was okay, so I left a message for the barn manager to check him for me. She was going to untack them and put them out for me, so I am sure she checked him over. We thought it was just a few stitches and some bruises. As bad as it is, it could have been a lot worse. It is a scary thing to see your child injured. It is such a helpless feeling to want to take away their pain and know you can't. I will let you know how things are tomorrow.

Is That You?

Is that you
in my dreams as I sleep?
Is that you
watching me as I weep?

Is that you
playing a song just for me?
Is that you
in every dragonfly I see?

Wherever I go
In whatever I do
I think it is..
Is that you?

mjs 2.13.09

Keilbabsa Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
*1pkgs (0.9oz) Knorr Spring Vegetable recipe/soup mix
*1/4stick butter (2 tablespooons)
*3 1/2 cups water
*1 1/2 cups rice (I use Uncle Ben's Original Converted Rice)
*7-8 oz.Keilbasa (I used Oscar Mayer Turkey Polska Keilbasa & cut it into small pieces.)
*1 tsp. Beef Broth Granules (can also use 1 boullion cube)

Combine 3 1/2 cups water with the Knorr mix in large saucepan.
Add 1/4 stick butter, bring to a boil.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups rice, and 1 tsp.beef granules.Then add Keilbasa.
Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Any extra liquid will be absorbed in about 10 minutes.

I double this recipe when I make it, but downsized it for smaller families.
Cricket, you would definitely have to double the recipe!

Cheesy Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
*16 oz. uncooked Ziti
*16 oz Ricotta Cheese
*3 cups (12 oz) Mozarella Cheese, Grated
*3 cups (26 oz. jar) Marinara or Spaghetti Sauce
*1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook Ziti in salted water, 8-10 minutes, drain.
Place Ziti in large bowl. Mix in 16 oz. ricotta cheese and half (1 1/2 cups) of the mozarella cheese. Mix well.
In a greased 9X13 inch casserole dish, spread half of the Sauce (1 1/2 cups) in the bottom of the pan.Add ziti mixture and then cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the remaining mozarella cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until it bubbles around the edges.

This makes a very large amount. I serve extra sauce with it for those who like it saucier!

The language of children..

They say the darnedest things!
*Tristan wants to be "tuckled" in. That is a cross between a snuggle and being tucked in!
*Alexa "can't like that" if there is something she doesn't want to eat or isn't sure of.
*Alexa has picked up "darnit" and "Holy Cow", she has been saying them all morning!
*Tristan still says "Wow, I did not see that one coming!" whenever something suprises him.
*When Tristan has done something he thinks will get him in trouble he comes up and says "I Love You" out of the blue. I have learned to tell him I love you too, what did you do? He usually answers honestly.
*When Alexa wants to stall she will say "Just 5 more minutes, just 5, okay?"
* They think "Stupid" is the bad "S" word.
*"But the sun is rising" is Tristan's reasoning to get up at dawn.
These are just a few of the cute things they say. Their minds are constantly learning and merging what they think with what they hear. I have to really watch what I say!

HAPPY HEART DAY!

Valentine's Day is not just a celebration of ideal relationships in a perfect world. It goes beyond that.. It's about real people who support one another in hard times, help each other through problems, and share life's joys as well as it's sadness.
It's about the kind of person who says "I'm here for you" and means it. It's about caring, friendship, love. That's why it is so much more than just a day of hearts and flowers.
Valentine's Day is a celebration of special friends and family.
Sending big hugs to all of you who matter in my life!

Patience & Practice..

I think I think too much. I worry about every little thing. I try to be sure everyone is happy. That they have what they want and don't want for anything. It is exhausting! It isn't a constant thing, I go through phases. It is like the tides, it comes and goes. It keeps me too busy to worry about me. I have tried recently to shift that concentration and pay more attention to what I need. Right now I have some health issues which require me taking my meds like I am supposed to and paying attention to my body and what it needs. I am not used to that, and my health has suffered at times because of it. It is easy to say I can't take care of others if I don't take care of myself and know that is true. It is harder to apply that theory to my everyday life. I am not a spring chicken, and I have not always lived a healthy lifestyle. I am trying to do better. In the past 5 months I have lost 42 pounds. That is a big step to being healthier. I have found some of my health concerns were disguised by my weight and the issues we blame on being heavy. Now I have to address my issues and take the steps to making myself healthier. It can be hard to accept that we are not as strong as we think we are, or not invincible. It is difficult to balance caring for others and caring for ourselves. It isn't impossible, it just takes patience and practice. I am up to the challenge of practicing, I am not so sure about finding the patience!

Ta-Da!

Ta-Da!
Originally uploaded by mommanana

2.4.09 Tristan & Alexa, 5th Birthday at Disney

With Pinnochio 2.4.09

With Pinnochio 2.4.09
Originally uploaded by mommanana

.. and with the sun in their eyes..What a Day! It was cold, but they never complained. Of course I made them wear 2 shirts, winter tights under their jeans, hats, scarfs, & mittens!
Alexa even braved "It's a Small World" after being asked to leave the ride last Memorial Day for screaming her head off. They aren't babies anymore!

Click on this pic to see the other awesome pix we took for their birthday at Disney.

Kie & babies Feb. 4, 2004

Kie & babies Feb. 4, 2004
Originally uploaded by mommanana

Hard to believe it has been 5 years already! We are off to Disney with Tristan & Alexa for the day. I will post pix tomorrow. It will be a day full of memories, both old & new.

Time Marches On..

Okay, well I guess it was my turn to disappear! I didn't really, but I have been absent from blogging. By the time my day is at an end and I think of getting online, it is late and I am tired. I have been dealing with a bout of "Reactive Mono/Epstein-Barr Virus", which my doc says is not contagious. It will flare up when I am stressed or my immune system is low. For years I have had what they thought was Pharyngitis, once or twice a year. Now she thinks it was this instead.
Add to that some "female" problems, which have left me severely anemic, and I have been wiped out. I am looking forward to having these issues resolved soon and I am starting to feel better.
Things have been busy as usual. We registered Alexa for Kindergarten last week. Tristan is automatically registered because he attends preschool where they will attend Kindergarten. They will be 5 this Wednesday, seems hard to believe so much time has gone by. They have lost that toddler look and have become their own "little people". Although Tristan has started climbing into our bed at night and insists I "Tuckle" him in. That is his new word for tucking him in and getting to snuggle.
I registered them for the free pass to Disney for their birthday. Brian & I will take them Wednesday for the day. It isn't such a big deal for them to miss preschool for one day. Brianne will pick up Hunter and have some one on one time with him which he doesn't get too often. Then we will take him on his own for his birthday.
Time marches on. It both amazes and frightens me. I had a difficult moment this afternoon when I was going to pick up the boys at their bus stop. I missed Kie so much it took my breath away, it was physically painful. Not because of a song on the radio, or any other obvious reason. It just hit me. Broadsided me right out of the blue. That doesn't happen as often as it used to. I miss her often, I think of her many times throughout my day, but it hasn't slammed into me like that in quite a while. I called my friend Terry M. and we talked about it, then talked about other things so that by the time I got the boys I was back in control.
I am sure this week will be emotional for me, for Brian too. I am so glad I have him to lean on, to understand my pain and to love me. We will get through the twin's birthday together, with them, and make the most of their day. We will give them great memories and great fun. Kie would want that for them, we do too. So we take it day by day... as time marches on.