Oops!

This is what happens when there are only 2 nails holding your kitchen cabinet to the wall and your son happens to pull on it while climbing up to get a plate. It was an accident and luckily no one was hurt but it sure made a VERY loud noise. I stood there in stunned silence while my children began crying and the little climber apologized profusely.

Thank heavens for my wonderful neighbor and good friend, Lindsay. I had to call someone to see this disaster and so I called her. She came over, was appropriately shocked and appalled, then promptly offered to help clean up. I didn't call her over to help with clean up, I just had to share the calamity with another adult! I tried to refuse her help but she said "too bad!" and went to get her broom. We made short work of it and threw away a box full of shattered glass. I will need to replace a few things, probably about $35 worth of plates, glasses and bowls. Could have been worse!

Now does anyone know a good handyman?

Halloween 2009

I was in charge of costumes this year because Jacob was busy with work.
This is the line up:

Aeris, a cute little pumpkin

Elijah, a scary vampire

Ethan, a mad scientist

Porter, a creepy mummy

and Jacob, as himself :)

Our Halloween festivities included:

1. A ward Fall Festival and trunk or treat(with Porter being a finalist in the costume parade)
2. Trick or treating at Jacob's work (and his win as Scariest Costume in the costume contest)
3. Trick or treating on Halloween night where my kids wimped out after about 7 houses! Obviously they don't know how good they have it. Why, I remember tromping through 18 inches of snow in 25 degree weather for hours in search of a few measly treats!

Halloween was fun! Now to get rid of all this candy!

This Bread's for You!

Here's my latest recipe acquisition: Artisan Bread

This recipe is from my friend, Sarah. She's been teaching bread classes for Enrichment and she is good.
Here's the recipe:

Dixie's Artisan Bread

3 c. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 5/8 c. water

Mix together, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit overnight at room temperture.

On baking day

1. Pour dough out onto a floured surface, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 mins.
2. Liberally flour 2 towels (NOT terry cloth, those smooth flour sack towels). Place dough between the towels, fold over and let rest for 2 hours.
3. 30 minutes before baking, place your pot (covered with an oven safe lid) into the oven and preheat to 450.
4. Pour the dough into the pot and bake covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes to brown the top.

This is a mild flavored bread and is delicious dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Let cool completely and enjoy. If you cut the loaf too early, it cuts poorly and dries out quickly.
The best way to keep bread fresh is to store it cut side down on a nonporous surface, like a plate.

It's been awhile

Sorry, no posts in forever. I did finish the grocery challenge with $10.34 to spare. Then, as soon as October arrived, I stocked back up! But at least I know I can do it and I plan on doing it more often.

As for the mixer, I'm going to hold off maybe until Christmas.

More posts with pictures to follow. I burned my fingers (2nd degree) today and typing is a bit difficult :( .

Sept 3rd and 4th

Money Spent So Far:
$14.45 Lunch date
$13.86 Diapers
$56.69 Left for the week

To answer some questions from my HUGE readership;).

No, I don't have any specific recipes but the blogger I got the idea from does have a recipe book that just came out and she says it's got good stuff in it. I'm just going to shop the sales and be very sure I buy only what we need. I may sneak in a few wants but I'm going to try making more treats this month and maybe even try my hand at making crackers and I will be making bread. I did stock my freezer with meat last week but that's only because we'd run out of every thing and it was before I planned on doing this. I know I'll be using more beans. Be glad you all live far away:).

As for keeping their "grubby hands" off the food, I just send them to school (so I don't have to deal with their "hungrys" for several hours) and have a snack planned when they get home and then the kitchen is CLOSED until dinner. If they say they are truly dieing for food, I offer carrot sticks. Not many of them are that hungry.

And the salad recipe is as follows:

Turkey, Apple, Craisin Salad

1 bag of salad (romaine mix or American mix)
Turkey lunch meat
Colby Jack cheese, shredded
Craisins
Gala apples (or Fuji)
1 stalk of Celery
Ranch dressing or a fruit Vinaigrette (we really like Marzetti Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette)

I chop the celery and add to salad mix and toss. Everything else I chop/shred and put in little bowls and people can pick what they like. I love this salad. It's very lite and fresh and delicious!

And our menu
Sept 3rd
Breakfast: Pancakes and eggs
Lunch: PB&J Sandwiches and Jacob and I went out for a lunch date $14.45
Dinner: Black Bean Soup and Cornbread
Snack: Apples and crackers and cheese

Sept 4th
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: PB and Honey sandwiches or leftovers
Dinner:Pita pizzas and cauliflower and zucchini with cheese and seasonings
Snack: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and milk

Just so you know, the lunches I pack aren't just sandwiches. There's always a fruit, chips/crackers, tiny treat, juice and a gogurt or string cheese. I have a feeling most of my $$ is going to be spent on lunch items.

With all the money I'm going to save this month (cross my fingers) I decided I'm going to buy a Bosch mixer just like my mom has. She got one used and has had it for at least 15 yrs and it's still going strong (as far as I know). I will think of it whenever I'm tempted to buy Skittles. I don't have any type of stand mixer and I'd like to think I'll make more bread if I have one. They are supposed to be the best on the market and last forever.

September 1 and 2

I have to make a disclaimer about these first 2 weeks. I already planned my menu and bought the groceries before I heard about this idea. And it's funny that since I can't/chosen not to go shopping, I keep thinking about what I'd like to buy and I don't need ANYTHING!! The feeling will go away after awhile, right?

Sept 1
Breakfast: Cold cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches and leftovers
Dinner: Turkey, Apple, Craisin Salad and saltine crackers.

Sept 2
Breakfast: Yogurt/egg, toast and fruit
Lunch: Tuna Sandwiches or leftovers
Dinner: Ravioli Vegetable Stack and cauliflower with cheese

And can I just say my little daughter is trying to be troublesome! She's on antibiotics for a double ear infection and she refuses to take them! She used to be so good at taking medicine. Unfortunately, she has to take them no matter what and so it will be given the "hard way". Very sad for her (and me).

$85 a Week for Groceries for September

I read about this on this blog. And if she can do it with 10 kids I can do it with 4! I'll post our meals and keep you updated on our progress. Even if we don't stick to the $85 a week, we'll still be saving money since I usually spend $600+ a month! YIKES! I'm going to go with all cash because I know that will help immensely. If anyone want to join us in this endeavor that would be great.

Our 10th Anniversary

Since we've survived 10 years of togetherness we celebrated by going out of town for the weekend. Jacob planned the whole thing. We divided our kids amongst 2 wonderful, fantastic, patient friends and headed off!

We went to Universal and Islands of Adventure.

The next day we drove to Key Largo to Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to camp (like we did on our honeymoon) on the beach. The next morning we went snorkeling on a coral reef. It was amazing! It is just like it shows on TV. The fish are so close you can almost touch them. We even saw a sea turtle go gliding by. We ate lots of delicious fish at little out of the way restaurants and enjoyed each other immensely.

Elijah's 5th Birthday

Elijah celebrated his 5th birthday on June 12. A few days later we had a birthday for him with some friends from school. It was Star Wars themed:) .

We played Pin-the-X-wing-on-the-Death-Star's-Thermal-Exhaust-Port, had a Pod Relay Race, a Jedi obstacle course and had some practice with a Lightsaber Training Remote (AKA pinata).

We even had a surprise appearance of an X-wing pilot.

We ate Wookie Cookies (no-bake cookies), pizza and fruit kabobs and had Yoda Soda (Sprite with lime sherbet) to drink.

It was fun!
No matter how unenthusiastic Elijah looks.

Babies and Markers

I tell you that little face is cute but those fingers are naughty!
I have to keep my eyes on her.
Thank heavens I got rid of all non washable markers in a stroke of genius and fit of organization.

Older and Wiser

I had a birthday.
There was cake, Texas Sheet Cake with chocolate buttermilk frosting made with love by my dear husband.

There were gifts, handmade (masks and necklaces)and store-bought (EA Active).
And Spider Man even made a guest appearance at my party.
It was good.
Now I am 31.

Zucchini

Because you've always wanted a zucchini big enough to cradle in your arms.

Little Readers

These are pictures that bring happiness to my heart.
Seeing my children love reading like I do is a wonderful thing.

If Aeris sees an adult sitting down, she runs to grab a book. She toddles over, book in hand, turns around and backs up into the (hopefully) available lap, and she's ready for her stories. And don't even think of leaving without reading at least 4 books; you wouldn't want to make her cry, would you?

Ethan likes to twirl his hair while he reads. This leads to some funny poke-ups in his hairdo.
We LOVE books!

My Happiness

They are why I do what I do 24/7/365 for the last 7.5-ish years.

The Garden

Here is my square foot garden. I began planting in February. That's when you start in Florida. I planted broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, various lettuces, swiss chard, beets, spinac,h, chives, mint, oregano, thyme and green sweet peas.
At the end of March, I added 3 tomato plants, green beans and bell peppers, cilantro and basil.
I have 2 four foot square boxes and 2 two by four foot boxes. Three of the boxes have trellises on the north side for various climbing plants.

I just want you to see how tall stuff has grown! The trellis for the tomatoes was 6 feet tall.
The green beans were going crazy! They grew up and over the top and started back down! Unfortunately I didn't like the variety I planted and I haven't harvested it much. Next year I'll plant Kentucky green beans (I think that is the variety). I had them before and I really enjoyed their "beany flavor".

And here is a picture of some of the harvest.
I know I didn't mention growing the cucumbers and zucchini but I got them from my next door neighbor and gardening buddy and I'm sure I may have watered them once so I can count them in my harvest:). Besides I didn't ever get a picture of the sweet peas, spinach and lettuces that I had coming out my ears.

I really enjoy gardening. But now that it is getting HOT outside, I'm glad my season is over. I'll take a break until the end of Sept and then I'll be ready for another growing season!

EA Company Picnic

EA has a company picnic every year and they know how to throw a party! It was at the fairgrounds and there were inflatable toys like giant slides, jousting, the bungee run, and obstacle courses; a petting zoo; pony rides;, a guy on stilts making balloon animals and swords; a live band; carnival games; a huge climbing wall; and lots of tasty food! Cotton candy, popcorn, candy apples, hotdogs, corn dogs, turkey legs, corn on the cob, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings, ect. It was a PARTY! The only downside was the 96 degree weather and no shady trees. But there was a breezy pavillion so we could rest and cool down.

Jacob had to work that Saturday so he didn't stay the whole time but he made good use of what he had. He challenged all of his boys to a jousting match.

I think he let them win.
And slid down the giant slide with his baby girl.

And made sure to leave with a generous sampling of fair food.

Everyone had a horse/pony ride, even me! It was the first time for everyone, except me. Elijah wanted to ride the horse.

His brothers stuck with the ponies.

Aeris wanted to see the "horsies". And she just looked so cute and serious on her pony!


It was a lot of fun. I just wish Jacob could have stayed longer. Usually they do the picnic earlier in the year. A lot of teams are in Alpha right now and you could tell there wasn't the crowd like I've seen in previous years.

Jacob's 32nd Birthday

Guess who's another year older!
O.K., so this is a bit late but he did have a birthday and this is how it all went down.
There was a cake, made from scratch. A Lemon Blitz Torte meaning "fast cake" because it came together very quickly.

There were candles.

And of course there was the requisite silliness.

Four kids by 32 years old? Not too shabby, I'd say! And I like how the children aren't holding anything back for this picture. It's a real insight to the family :)

And there were gifts but I don't have any photographic proof so you'll just have to take my word for it. He got a USB audio interface thingy (it'd been on his Amazon wish list for a while) and Okami (a video game, of course).

That morning he got up early to help our friends, the Engs, move into a new house. They treated him to a steak lunch for his kind assistance and for dinner, we all went out to 5 Guys Burgers.

It was a good day.

My Belated Mother's Day Post

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! I woke up to this:

from Porter.

He made it all by himself. I was impressed! I have been waiting for this to happen on Mother's day for 7+ years. Finally, I got my breakfast in bed! Getting breakfast from one of my kids just seemed like the sign which means I'm truly a mom and I'm really in the "mom groove". But you wonder "why not breakfast in bed from the dear husband?" Eh. I'm never going to get that from Jacob. The only time he ever wakes up before me is on the day after Thanksgiving to get some smokin' hot deals on electronics. :)

I also got hand painted bird houses from my 1st graders and lovely notes about how much they love me. And from my almost kindergartener I got our handprints together (I lent a "hand" imprint for this project) and a note about what he loves about me. Jacob got me Wii Fit and the Balance Board. Just what I wanted!

I got to talk with all my family, even my brother on a mission in Japan because we arranged a conference call with everyone.

For dinner I enjoyed sauteed chicken, aspargus, mashed red potatoes, atomic Kool-aid, and ice cream. YUMMY!

It was a wonderful day. I love being a mom and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Central Florida Fair 2009

View from the Ferris Wheel

Last Saturday we all went to the fair! We ate lots of fatty deep fried food, rode rides till we turned green, saw elephants, tigers, chickens and sheep, and watched a fiery high diver dive!

Aeris and me cheesing for the camera

We checked out the exhibits and just knew that Porter's Lego creation would have won a ribbon, if we'd entered it on time. And my scrapbook pages and cards would have held their own as well. Next year the blue ribbons will be ours!

Three smiling boys on the Ferris wheel

Unfortunately we stayed too late and didn't get home until 10 pm which made it very difficult to get up for 9 am Church. But we made it!

A really crazy clown!

It was great fun and we can't wait to go next year!

Easter 2009

This Easter we had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard on Saturday and a small basket delivered on Sunday for each child.

Jacob hid the eggs and I waited with the very excited kids. We let Aeris out first for a minute then Elijah and then the big boys. Porter was a quiet and quick finder. Ethan and Elijah kept asking Jacob and I where the eggs were. We told them to keep looking!! Aeris caught on quickly and was able to hold her own in egg collecting. Porter found the golden egg this year. It had $2 inside. Elijah was upset that he didn't find it and Ethan was very kind to share an egg with him to help him feel better. Ethan doesn't like to see people sad.

All in all it was fun and tasty.