Sunday, September 27, 2009

Chocolate-Stuffed Peanut Butter Brownies



1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/4cups butter or margarine, melted
1/2cup creamy peanut butter
1teaspoon vanilla
3eggs
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
3/4teaspoon baking powder
1/4teaspoon baking soda
1/2teaspoon salt
36miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped (from 15.6-oz bag)
1/2cup milk chocolate chips
.Heat oven to 350°F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 325°F). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
.In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut 12 of the candies into fourths (about 3/4 cup). Stir cut-up candies and chocolate chips into batter. Spread in pan.
.Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press remaining 24 candies in brownies in 4 even rows of 6 candies each. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Tickled My Funny Bone

I found a funny book at the library
Having a son who takes things so literally, this book really spoke to me




Friday, September 25, 2009

Just This Once

I'll tell a story about how HE was right.
Kind of like a beleted anniversary gift.
Happy Ninth Year!
Don't be looking for another "you were right" story for another nine.
At least.

Remember back before summer when I was complaining about how the man had teased me with the possibility of leasing my newest obsession? Then he decided to buy me a motor home instead.

I was completely miffed.

Not totally because I was being a spoiled little wench. More because he had suggested the idea then was like, "Yah, no." That got my fight up pretty fast.

But because it's easier to be passive aggressive in this relationship I didn't make too much of a fuss.

Because I knew, in the long or short run he was right.

Leasing a vehicle, though I

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

the idea of trading in my car every two years or so ... it's not entirely wise in our situation.

Companies fail, companies thrive.

Ebb and flow and all that jazz.

Being a business owner and dependent on a fairly loosey goosey structure of pay isn't the best situation to have too many debts that must be paid month to month.

Such as a leased vehicle.

We've always owned ours out right so we never have to worry about making payments.

Repos.

Stress and worry over what is going to paid and what can slide till next month.

Turns out him not letting me have my way was a stroke of genius.
No, I will not repeat that.

Mid-August our "big money maker", you know the kind of money maker that pays all the bills essentially went belly up.

Jerry, our sole "bread winner" was without a job.

Still is.

It was shocking.

And a wee bit terror inducing.

We've kind of been okay financially, I won't be running out and buying the kids new undies or anything ... but okay.

However, if we'd have got that car...

Things would be decidedly

Not Good.

So "props" to Jerry for not letting me live my fantasy and keeping his feet on the ground.

Though I hope the situation changes soon ... I'd sure like to buy the kids some pants for fall.

Friday Nights

I hate 'em.
I don't mean, "dislike" I really do mean hate.
I hate knowing I'm home alone with four options:
read/write blogs,
read a book,
watch tv or
clean the house.
Yeah.
My life is way more exciting than I ever anticipated it'd be at 30.
Way more.
Like.
Totally.

The part I hate most, obviously, is the whole being alone. I hate it.
It's always the worst part about coming back to Texas after being in Canada for the summer too.
I go from people crowding in around the seams for time ... to ... crickets chirping.
No really.
I can hear crickets chirping right now.
It's THAT quiet.

I love having both the kids in school full time because it gives me an excuse to be at the school all day. With people.
People that talk to me.
I do wonder if from time to time the ladies in the office think I'm kinda pathetic because I have nothing better to do than hang out at the school offering help to one and all.
I'd rather be pathetic than sitting on my tush at home, glaring at the walls.
Or something else just as asinine.

Facebook Laughter

A friend of my cousin posted this today. I was literally laughing so hard I thought I was going to split a kidney.

-I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

-I don’t understand the purpose of the line, “I don’t need to drink to have fun.” Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they’ve invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-That’s enough, Nickelback.

-I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the “people you may know” feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I’m still the only one who really, really gets it.

-How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

-I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

-A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

-Was learning cursive really necessary?

-Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.

-I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

-Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely
petrifying.

-My brother’s Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, “Cuz we beat you, and you hate us.” Classy, bro.

-Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.

-How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?

-I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

-Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using ‘as in’ examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss’s last name to an attorney and said “Yes that’s G as in…(10 second lapse)..ummm…Goonies”

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

-While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.

-MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

-Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

-I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

-I would like to officially coin the phrase ‘catching the swine flu’ to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: “Dave caught the swine flu last night.”

-I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

-Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!

-Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be
completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.

-There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

-“Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

-I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

-When I meet a new girl, I’m terrified of mentioning something she hasn’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles…

-As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn’t know what to do with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…

-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day “Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?” How the hell do I respond to that?

-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Weirdo

Today as I was doing some tasks for the kindergarten teachers I had a lot of time for my brain to wander while my hands were busy.
I started contemplating why my first urge while preparing for the day is to pull my hair back into a pony tail. Even on my wedding day - I had it up. Because I didn't want to have to fuss with it. On the day you're supposed to fuss!
While I was growing up, I know why I always pulled it back: Because it was convenient. Because it was always windy where we lived and I hate having my hair in my face. Because it was easy. Because I had no idea how to deal with my unruly/curly/fuzzy hair. Because I didn't want to have to wake up that extra 20 minutes earlier in the morning to deal with it.

All fairly valid excuses. For a kid.

What's my excuse now? Why is my first inclination to grab an elastic as I'm getting ready?

I know I look better with my hair down. I know it will only take me an extra 3 minutes to scrunch in some "product" after my shower. I know there is only a small chance the wind will be blowing hard enough to interfere with the placement.

When it comes down to it, it's not really about my hair.

At least I don't think so.

Most of the time.

It's about control and my essential lack thereof.

There are very few areas in my life that I am "The Boss".

The end all of be all.

The Buck Stops Here gal.

When my hair isn't contained ... I don't feel completely together.

I feel a little off kilter.

A little on the edge.

I have a lot of these little quirks.

Things I know make me an odd ball inside.

Deep Deep down inside.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Odd

As we were driving through California this summer I noticed an odd discrepancy between how much they loved their state as compared to the drivers in it. So you're telling me if I get caught throwing a wrapper out my window I could get a fine upwards of $25,000 but if my kids are jumping around the back seat you'll slap my wrist with a piddly $80?
"Intellesting. Velly velly intellesting."

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Hidden Talent?

I have gone by the philosophy, "If they don't ask for it... I'll wait to approach it till they do" cause heaven knows kids get way too much crap these days.
Therefore, all previous birthdays the little man has had I've just grabbed a cake from the bakery, or "artfully" iced some cup cakes ... things along those pathetic "please don't make me put effort into it" lines.
This year however, he developed an opinion. On everything. What he wants to get, who he wants to come, what kind of cake he wants, where he wants to have the party ... The list is never ending!

The hardest task to accomplish? Making him the Lightning McQueen cake he asked for. When I told Jerry was I was going to attempt he gave me a funny look and asked if I wasn't sure some "professional" could make it for us.

Even after I'd bought the mold/icing dyes/tips/ect... he was all like, "You sure you want to do this? You want me to do it?"

His faith simply astounds, I know.

So I stubbornly sat down at the table the afternoon and went to work. Piping, smoothing, pulling, cringing ...

TAA DAA!

Jerry's comment after I was done?

"That looks better than some professional cakes I've seen ..."

Well.

Praise be.

The writing along the side ain't so hot, but hey ... The Boy will like it anyway.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Glorious Friendship

Today in Relief Society (it's an L.D.S. thing ... go find one and ask about it!) the lesson was on Friendship.
How Glorious Are Faithful, Just and True Friends
It linked very well with our Sunday School lesson on
A Mission of Saving
as the sister teaching the lesson put out the question of
"Have you ever felt some one in your life "saved" you?"
There was story after story told by members in our ward of sisters (as in we're all brothers and sisters in Heaven sense) being people's life lines. Of how those connections, those friendships had been peoples "life line" at one point or another. Sometimes something as simple as a meal being delivered or as complex as going on a "child care" rotation for a family who's mother was in the hospital with cancer.
It really struck me in Relief Society as the teacher began her lesson on being friends ... true friends to others and how we as women truly need that connection.
I think that women need friends. We need the interaction, the warmth, the stability, the love from other women. We need to know that we are found to be of worth by our fellow "sisters".
This, I think, is why it hurts me most to not have women I can call on "whenever" here in Texas.
I was discussing this issue with someone I do spend time with her in Texas from time to time when her schedule permits it and was confronted by a painful truth - it's hard for married L.D.S. women to be friends with another woman who is essentially "single".
It's difficult for married ladies to ask another lady whose husband has no interest in social intermingling at all to come to "Couple Game Nights", "Double Dates", "Couples Socials" ... because I do not have a second who will come. Or if he does, he makes it incredibly awkward cause he really does not want to be there.
I'd ask about "Ladies Night Out", but because I have not had any interaction with other ladies ... I do not know who I would even approach.
My ward has changed so much over the last year, I can barely name a hand full of sisters.

I find this a problem with the ladies I have met through my school volunteering too. These ladies make friends as "couples" with their husbands. They go on camping trips with other families, they go to baseball games with other families, they have dinner dates with other families.

All of which my "second" would forcefully object to.

I'm so screwed in the friend department.
I am not much for looking back at my kids baby days and sighing over what once was.
Mostly because it is now seems a blur of sleeplessness, heart aches, frustrations and fears.

Friday Ms. R came home with a home work assignment of bringing to school a picture of herself from when she was a baby.

We pulled down all her pictures (Michael once claimed if he didn't know the kids in the pictures were mine ... he'd think I was obsessed) and started thumbing through them to find the perfect one.

In her opinion.

She picked out a picture of herself in the hospital after "the incident" first.
In the P.I.C.U.
Stitches.
Bruising.
Massive swelling.
Tubes every where.

I asked her why she wanted to take that one in particular and she told me she wanted to show her classmates just WHY she has her scars.

Then she also picked up one that made the tears clog my throat.

One with her laying on her belly, one hand clasped around a toy as she gummed it to death... the other hand grasping the ear of "the incidents" perpetrator.

"So I'm going to take these two. The dog liked me, he didn't mean to hurt me. He thought I was a toy ... just like mine!"

Battling back the tears, I agreed that that was a good reason to pick those pictures and encouraged her to put them in her homework binder.

After she'd chased off after her brother I kept looking through her pictures.

I've taken so many.

Rarely of huge moments.

Just every day silliness.

Her in her baby-soft pajamins with her swimsuit wrapped around her head - one of her first attempts at independence.

Making apple pie with Grandpa Kim, smiling so big you can't see her eyes.

Eating her first Popsicle, sitting on the front lawn with a bunch of Jones cousins.

Playing on the beach in Galveston with Grandma Char.

Eating a lemon at 4 months - and LOVING it!

Laying with her head on B-mans diaper padded bottom as they watched tv.

Laughing her head off with Gramma Crabb looking way too proud ... with make up ALL OVER her face.

It makes me laugh when I look at my baby's pictures and realize she never had baby fat ... but she has always been so soft.

She has a tender heart and a fierce spirit.

I love her entirely.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Family Fun

While I was wasting time ... er ... being very productive today (as the kids were in school) I went to the library to pick up some materials I had requested and were waiting for me. I tooled around in the magazine area for a while cause I had time to burn and saw the coolest little magazine for crafty kid ideas and parental help tips. Family Fun (wonderful website!) I personally am not ambitious ... or have the material for most of the activities in the magazine, but I still thought they were REALLY fun.

Here are some of the cool ideas I read about:

One mom puts a straw in her kids meds to help him suck it back. After having to drink that crap before the colonoscopy, thrusting the straw to the very back of my mouth so I could barely taste it... I think this idea has great merit.

Another taped her daughters spelling words up on one side of a glass shower and gave her some of those "crayon soap". Her daughter thinks it's a really fun way to practice - and she's getting clean in the process!

Fun Book: "This informative guide is full of tips and tricks for remembering everything from math and spelling rules to tricky science, history, and geography facts...perfect learning companion to help any student who has ever struggled to remember his multiplication tables, the spelling of the word "Mississippi," or the names of the planets."

The next few posts are just a hint at the kind of ideas you can find on the website and in the magazine...

Pretty Ponytails


Transform an elastic hair band into a one-of-a-kind accessory using felted wool -- made from repurposed old sweaters that have been shrunk until the wool is thick and ravel-proof.

CRAFT MATERIALS:

Old sweaters
Scissors
Button
Embroidery needle
Embroidery floss
Elastic hair band

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. To felt the wool, wash the sweaters in hot water and dry them on high heat. Repeat, if necessary, so that the fabric's weave is tight enough to be cut without fraying.
2. Layer several felt circles and a button, then stitch them together with embroidery floss. Tie the floss tightly around the hair band to secure.

Forget Me Knob


Hang this organizer on your front door and never lose your keys, sunglasses, or other essentials again. Sticky notes help remind family members of more ephemeral matters.

CRAFT MATERIALS:

12- by 18-inch sheet of craft foam
Scissors
Double-sided tape
Duct tape
Small carabiner
Pad of sticky notes

Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours
Forget-Me-Knob -  Diagram 1. From a the craft foam, cut out the pieces as shown in the diagram.
Forget-Me-Knob -  Step 2 2. Line up the tops of the front and back panels and stick them together with double-sided tape. Stack the inner pocket on top so that it aligns with the bottom edge of the back panel, as shown.
3. Align a strip of duct tape with the top edge of the pocket and wrap the tape around the stack.
4. Fold the bottom section of the front panel over the inner pocket and secure the sides with duct tape. Roll up the spacer piece and tape it closed, then tape it near the bottom of the back of the organizer. (This will help the organizer hang flat.)
5. Punch two holes in the outer pocket and link a short length of ball chain through them. Add a small carabiner to the chain. Use double-sided tape to attach a pad of sticky notes above the doorknob hole.

Off The Cuff Bracelets


Repurpose old wool sweaters by felting the fabric -- shrinking the wool until it's thick and ravel-proof -- and then it's a cinch to create a bevy of stylish bracelets.

CRAFT MATERIALS:

Old sweater
Scissors
Embroidery needle
Embroidery floss
Buttons, felt shapes, paper flowers, and other embellishments

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. To felt the wool, wash the sweater in hot water and dry it on high heat. Repeat, if necessary, so that the fabric's weave is tight enough to be cut without fraying.
2. Cut loops from the sweater's cuffs and arms. Next, decorate the bangles by using embroidery floss to sew on buttons, felt shapes, paper flowers, and more. Tip: If the diameter of a loop is too big, cut it open, trim the excess length, then overlap the edges and secure them by sewing on embellishments.

Chew on Your Pencil


Ingredients:
Cheese sticks
1/2-inch-thick slices of bologna
Mustard
Bugles corn snacks
Raisins

1. For each pencil, cut off one end of a cheese stick so that it's flat. Use a paring knife or apple corer to cut a 3/4-inch circle out of the bologna.
2. Dab one end of the circle into the mustard, then attach it to the flat end of the cheese stick.
3. Snap off the end of a Bugle so that its edges are even, and gently press it onto the other end of the cheese stick. Slide half a raisin onto the Bugle for the pencil tip, and you've got a snack that's just write!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Freebie

... of the romantic kind.
I'll admit I LOVE romance novels. I have read so many of them I would almost be embarrassed if anyone knew just HOW many I've read.
So you can imagine my delight when I saw that Harlequin is giving away 16 free e-books at their site harlequincelebrates.com to commemorate their 60th anniversary.
Down load and enjoy my friends!

I Learned Something New

Yeah, it's such an unusual occurrence I have to blog about it.
Ha
Ha
Ha
Kidding. Mostly.
Alright, so only occasionally do I learn something new that actually interests me.
This little tidbit was something new.
One of my cousins showed me a feature on Facebook that allows you to see who of your friends looks at your page most often. Some people I was surprised by, some comforted by, others ... a little confused by.
Here are the top 14 ... don't be embarrassed if you're on the list. I love the love you show by swinging by often enough to make being a member worth while. Even if it is a free service.

1. My Mom. I think she is also my top blog lurker. Love you, mom!
2. Kari Jones Terwelp. I think we're starting to have a cousinly love affair with all correspondence. Warms my grumpy heart.
3. My Sister. Sorry I'm not more interesting don't have more stories to entertain you, dear.
4. Rebecca Craig. She's a Facebook stalker. haha. And a wife of a cousin. So she's totally legit.
5. Michelle Prinsen. Also a wife of a cousin. I think she just likes all the smack I talk.
6. Stacy Jones. Though we may be miles apart, I am learning to pick on you quite adequately, thanks to the internet.
7. Lacey Arens. This is funny to me, as I have actually only spent ... a hand full of hours in this persons presence. I must have made QUITE the impact.
8. Vivian George. She takes afer her mother, she likes to know what's going on with EVERYONE.
9. Kimberly Kime. Boo-Diddy's teacher for the last two years and still his IHT. Love her. She can stalk me all she wants.
10. Chrissy Ann Hovan. I think she takes comfort in the fact that we are only a few hours from each other ... reaches out for familiarity in this crazy crazy American world.
11. Troy Kamprath. GET BACK TO YOUR PUSH UPS, solider boy!
12. Heather Beste Ales. We were in each other's lives for some pretty intense times.
13. My Brother. I KNEW you were out there and just not saying anything - AS USUAL. At least on line. In person? Entirely different story.
14. Mandy Court. Why Mandy, I didn't know you cared so much ;)


After saying all that ... this application may be total junk. It may just randomly select some of your friends and suggest them as the people who MAY come to your page the most often.